An Emerging Trainer
by Tigertot
Summary: Three years after Ash's Kalos League defeat, a new trainer, inspired by Ash, now sets off on his own journey.
1. Prologue: Kalos League Finale

This is my first attempt at writing a Pokémon-themed story. It revolves around a kid who saw Ash's Kalos league finale when he was seven, and is now setting out on his journey across Sinnoh. This is the prologue chapter of the first story in my trilogy.

It was a cold November evening. The air outside Jubilife City was cold, with snow coming down. However, it was by no means a dull evening. In one household, there was excitement. Joy, even. This day would be remembered by one child, and it would stick in his mind forever. And that child's name is Terrell Foster.

"And Goodra is knocked out!" shouted the announcer on the TV. "Ash only has one Pokémon left!"

Terrell was sitting on the couch in his family's apartment, with his Munchlax, Munchy, on his lap, eating some Poffins that his parents had in the house. Terrell had been watching the Lumiose Conference ever since it started several days ago, and was especially interested in one trainer: Ash Ketchum. Terrell had watched Ash fight in other conferences when he was younger, but at the age of seven, he was finally able to comprehend his strategies. Ash was like a hero to him, a paragon that was capable of defeating any opponent in his way.

"Terrell!" shouted a voice. "How's the championship battle?"

"It's good mom!" replied Terrell. "Ash's down to his Greninja, while Alain just switched in his Charizard!"

"Good to hear!" replied Terrell's mother. "Let's just hope he wins this time. I don't want the kid to lose again after his performance in Unova."

"I hope," replied Terrell. He knew that Ash had been defeated in every league he did before. Whether it be Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, or Unova, Ash had lost, though he made it further into each conference than he did in the last one. This time, Terrell hoped that Ash could win the Lumiose Conference. Terrell and Munchy looked at the TV, seeing Ash's special Greninja and Alain's Mega Charizard X clash in arguably the most intense battle he had seen before.

Then, it happened.

Charizard and Greninja had lunged at each other, throwing out a Blast Burn and a Water Shuriken at the same time. A massive explosion occurred in the arena, and whichever Pokémon emerged alive would determine the winner of the Lumiose Conference. Terrell watched in anticipation, hoping that Greninja would emerge victorious.

"And it looks like Charizard has barely held on!" shouted the announcer. "Alain wins the Kalos league!"

Terrell dropped his bag of popcorn, and slammed his face into the couch, bawling. He had wanted Ash to win for ages, and now he had been severely disappointed.

"Honey, it's not that bad," uttered his mother. "You know, your father and I have seen our Snorlaxes clash in battle and lose that hard before."

"I don't care!" screamed Terrell. "Ash deserved this victory!"

"I know he did," replied Terrell's mother. "Remember, in three years, you'll be able to compete in the Sinnoh League. Just remember that you can learn things from losing."

"You're right," replied Terrell. "Thanks mom. I know I can trust you."

"Glad to help!" replied Terrell's mother. Suddenly, the TV switched to a breaking news channel.

"This is a Jubilife City special report," uttered the anchor. "A terrorist attack has just occurred in Lumiose City, masterminded by an organization that calls themselves Team Flare. Police have been dispatched to combat these criminals, but they show no sign of stopping their attack."

"Oh no," uttered Terrell's mother. "This can't be happening."

"Let's just hope that the Kalos trainers can get together and stop whatever that…thing is," replied Terrell.

The camera now switched to a helicopter view of Lumiose, with a reddish-green Pokemon atop Prism Tower. It was firing off lasers across Lumiose, taking down helicopters and flying Pokemon.

"Some day, I'm gonna be strong enough to battle Ash," thought Terrell. "Then, I can prove I'm a strong kid."

And that's the prologue. Next chapter, Terrell will get to pick his starter and go out on his journey. I also plan to introduce his main traveling companion during the next chapter. Make sure to leave a review if you want to see more.


	2. Chapter 1: A Furious Battle

Alright, Chapter 1 is here. But before we start, I'll be addressing a reviewer's questions.

First of all, most Pokémon names are capitalized in the media they are shown in. Just go to Bulbapedia and see how they capitalize Pokemon names. As for the horizontal line issue, there was one. It was just removed due to a formatting error. Now, let's get into the story.

The day had finally arrived.

Three years had passed since the Kalos League finals, and Terrell was now of age to begin his journey. However, he was first taking a trip to Sandgem Town to receive a starter Pokémon, who would be accompanying Munchy on his journey.

"We're finally here Munchy," uttered Terrell as he arrived in Sandgem Town. The air was full of the salty scent of the sea, with people all over the town. Professor Rowan's laboratory was just ahead, and Terrell began walking there. However, just as he was nearing the lab, two hands went over his eyes.

"Guess who?" exclaimed a female voice. Terrell simply turned around, and saw a girl around his age. She wore a pair of shorts, had a simple shirt on, and a backpack on her back.

"Natasha?" replied Terrell. "Is it really you?"

"Yep!" replied Natasha with a smile on her face. "I assume you're here to pick up your starter Pokemon from Professor Rowan?"

"I am," replied Terrell. "I'm gonna be doing the Pokémon gym challenge, just like I said I would when we were kids."

"I'm just going to be travelling," replied Natasha. "I really want to see all this world has to offer alongside my Pokémon."

The door to the lab opened, and a teenage boy came out. He had brownish hair that was ruffled slightly, and a pair of glasses.

"Terrell Foster and Natasha I presume?" asked the boy.

"That's us," replied the two ten-year olds.

"I'm Gary Oak, an assistant to Professor Rowan," replied Gary. "Since the professor is busy dealing with a major breakthrough, I'll be handling your starter Pokémon."

Gary opened the door for the two kids, and they walked through. Terrell saw countless scientists analyzing different species of Pokémon, with papers and computers scattered all over the lab.

"The starters are in this room," uttered Gary. As the three entered the room, they saw three Pokémon sitting on the table.

The first of these, on the left, was Turtwig. Turtwig was a green turtle-like Pokémon with a small twig on his head. Its shell was made of soft soil, and it seemed quite happy and ready to go out into the world. In the center was Chimchar, a monkey Pokemon. Chimchar had a flame on its tail, and seemed energetic. Finally, Piplup was on the right. It was a penguin Pokémon with blue feathers, and a yellow beak. Piplup, unlike the others, was sleeping. Gary proceeded to poke Piplup, startling it and causing it to stand still, ready to see which Pokémon would be chosen.

"Take your time," Gary told the kids.

"Which one did you choose?" asked Terrell.

"I'm not from Sinnoh," replied Gary. "I moved here three years ago from Kanto to become a Pokémon researcher."

"I see," replied Terrell. He looked fondly at the Pokémon before him. Ideally, any one of them would be suitable for the journey. However, Munchy seemed to have his eyes fixated on Turtwig. He jumped out of Terrell's bag, and began talking to the turtle Pokémon.

"Turtwig and your Munchlax seem to really like each other," uttered Gary.

"Then I think I know who to pick," replied Terrell. He looked into Turtwig's eyes, seeing his potential partner before him. Turtwig smiled, and leapt into Terrell's arms.

"Turtwig it is!" uttered Terrell. "I'll name him Twiggy."

"How about you Natasha?" asked Gary.

"It's a tough choice," replied Natasha. "But I think I'll go with Chimchar. I'll name him Charchar."

"I'll get you their Poké Balls and some other essentials," uttered Gary as he left the room. Terrell and Natasha simply stared at each other, as Chimchar jumped onto Natasha's shoulder.

"Battle as soon as we get outside?" asked Terrell.

"You bet," replied Natasha. "Though, you have one more Pokémon than me."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," replied Terrell. "Charchar has a type advantage over Twiggy, after all."

Gary returned into the room, handing Terrell and Natasha a box each. Each box contained their starter's Poké Ball, a Pokédex, and five Poké Balls for catching other Pokémon, or in the case of Terrell, four Poké Balls due to him already having two Pokémon.

"You two both have Pokétch watches, right?" asked Gary.

"We do," replied the kids as they showed theirs to Gary.

"I assume you have the phone app on there already," replied Gary. "If so, I'll give you my number."

Gary inserted his number into both of the kids' Pokétches, and then proceeded to leave the room.

"If you need anything, just call!" shouted Gary. Terrell and Natasha began to exit the lab, heading towards the battlefield outside of the Pokémon Center in Sandgem Town.

"First to knock out all of the opponent's Pokémon wins," uttered Terrell. "Twiggy, I choose you!"

Twiggy was released from his Poké Ball, standing on the battlefield. He looked at Terrell, and smiled, ready to take on Natasha's Pokémon.

"Charchar, let's go!" shouted Natasha. Charchar jumped off of her shoulder onto the battlefield.

"Use Tackle!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy began running towards Charchar, eager to land the first blow of the match.

"Counter with Scratch!" shouted Charchar. Charchar waited for Twiggy to lunge at him, before lashing out with his hands. Twiggy was knocked back onto the ground, but felt ready to take on the Chimchar before him.

"Withdraw!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy began gathering energy from the nearby ground, and formed a barrier around him.

"Use Tackle and shatter the barrier!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy proceeded to charge into the barrier, sending shards flying all over the battlefield. Several of which hit Charchar, knocking him back.

"Use Tackle again!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy charged at Charchar again, hitting him with heavy force. Charchar appeared to be unable to battle, leaving Terrell as the victor.

"Good battle," uttered Natasha as she picked up Charchar. "Now, we better plan out what we're doing regarding the journey."

So the chapter's over. I might even add some romance between Terrell and Natasha later on. Anyways, see you again.


	3. Chapter 2: Journey to Jubilife

Chapter 2's coming now. By the way, I'll be using a mix of both the games' layout of Sinnoh and the anime. Also, I managed to fix the formatting error.

* * *

Natasha and Terrell entered the Pokémon Center in Sandgem Town. Inside the center, trainers were looking through the PC storage system, talking to each other, and watching maps.

"I need to go heal Charchar," uttered Natasha. "You should go grab a map."

Terrell walked towards the Poké Mart section of the Pokémon Center, where various items lined the shelves. He picked up a map of Sinnoh, some potions, and some Berries for his Pokémon before heading to the counter.

"That'll be $750," said the clerk. Terrell handed the clerk the money he owed, using the cash his parents provided him with before he went to Sandgem Town. As the clerk bagged the items, Terrell gave Munchy and Twiggy some Oran Berries. Twiggy was sitting in Terrell's backpack, while Munchy sat on his shoulder, chowing down on the Oran Berries. Natasha walked up to Terrell with Charchar on her shoulder, and the two of them sat down at a nearby table.

"I bought some Berries and Potions as well," uttered Terrell as he brought out the map. "The closest gym to here is in Oreburgh City, just east of Jubilife."

"I'll want to head that way too," replied Natasha. "Is it ok if I travel with you as you do the gym challenge?"

"Sure," replied Terrell. "Now, I just need to register for the Sinnoh League before we leave."

Terrell walked up to a PC at the desk in the Pokémon Center. He had the computer scan his Pokédex before it showed a screen with his face on it.

"Terrell Foster is now registered for the Sinnoh League," uttered the computer. "Total number of badges: zero."

Terrell got his backpack on, and walked out of the Pokémon Center alongside Natasha. Jublife City, where the two of them grew up, was just north of Sandgem, connected via Route 202. The two youths began walking down the route to see what awaited them.

"So, you're on this journey to travel and see the world?" asked Terrell.

"Yep," replied Natasha as she smiled. "I really want to see what Sinnoh has to offer for me."

"Well, you know me," Terrell replied. "I've always wanted to challenge the League ever since we were kids."

"I remember those days when you'd never shut up about the Kalos League finale," Natasha replied. "You idolized Ash Ketchum back then."

"And I still do," replied Terrell. "Especially since he's Alola's Champion now."

"He is?" replied Natasha in shock. "When did this happen?

"Two years ago," replied Terrell. "He won the Lanakila Conference in Alola and became its first Champion."

"Wow," replied Natasha. Suddenly, the nearby grass began to rustle. An Elekid jumped out of the grass, and growled at the pair.

"Munchy, let's go!" shouted Terrell. Munchy jumped off of Terrell's shoulder, and snarled at the Elekid. The Elekid readied his fist, and unleashed a Thunder Punch at Munchy, knocking him back into a tree.

"Munchy, use Tackle!" shouted Terrell. Munchy began dashing at Elekid with blistering speed, and lunged at him. Elekid fell to the ground, but got back up again.

"Tackle again!" shouted Terrell. Once again, Munchy dashed at Elekid, but Elekid managed to dodge the tackle. It readied another Thunder Punch, and struck Munchy.

"Bulk Up!" shouted Terrell. Munchy began to sit down, and put itself in a defensive position. As Elekid attempted to Thunder Punch again, Munchy lunged at him and knocked him back.

"I'm gonna catch this Elekid," uttered Terrell as he threw a Poké Ball at the Elekid. It entered the ball, and Terrell merely watched as it shook several times.

Then, the ball clicked shut. Elekid was caught! Terrell took Elekid's Poké Ball and put it on his belt.

"I'll name him Electro," uttered Terrell.

"Quite the creative namer," replied Natasha.

"Hey, at least I didn't name him something super long!" replied Terrell. "Now, let's keep going."

* * *

And that concludes Chapter 2. I already have Terrell's team planned out, and I think it's a good one. Expect more cameos from other anime characters as the story goes on.


	4. Chapter 3: Road to Oreburgh

What's this? Two chapters in one day?

* * *

Terrell and Natasha entered Jubilife City: the beating heart of Sinnoh. Here, people were walking all over, with battles occurring within the battlefields scattered across the city. The city's jumbotrons constantly showed ads from various companies like Silph Co., the Devon Corporation, the Pokétch Company, and the Aether Foundation. As they walked through the city, Terrell noticed his parents.

"Mom! Dad!" shouted Terrell. His parents smiled and hugged him.

"I see you've got a starter Pokémon now!" Terrell's dad uttered. "Looks like you broke the family tradition of using Munchlaxes and Snorlaxes!"

"I know," replied Terrell. "Twiggy here has been a reliable companion."

"Good to see you again Natasha," uttered Terrell's mom. "I haven't seen you since you were a kid. Are you two travelling together?"

"We are," replied Natasha. "Terrell's doing the Pokémon Gym challenge, and I'm just travelling."

"Well, good luck to both of you," replied Terrell's dad. "I hope to have a battle with either of you once you've got more experience."

Terrell smiled at his parents before walking off. Route 203 was just east of Jubilife, and Terrell was eager to see what awaited him on the route.

"Let's see if Electro's a strong Pokémon," uttered Terrell. "First Pokémon that comes for me, I'll send him out against it."

Suddenly, the grass rustled. A Starly flew out, and chirped in anger.

"Electro, I choose you!" shouted Terrell as he threw out Electro's Poké Ball. Electro smiled at Terrell, and readied his fists. The Starly dived down at Electro, using Tackle. Electro fell back, but easily got up.

"Use Thunder Punch!" Terrell shouted. Electro readied his fist, and charged at the Starly. It attempted to fly away, but Electro slammed it with a thundering fist, knocking the bird down.

"Thunder Wave!" Terrell shouted. Electro created a pulse of electricity from his hands, stunning the Starly. It attempted to fly away, but was crippled by the paralysis.

"Finish it off with a Thunder Punch!" Terrell shouted. Electro jumped at the Starly, smashing it with an electric fist that sent it flying into the grass. The battle was over.

"Electro seems quite strong," uttered Natasha. "But he may have some trouble against the Oreburgh Gym. It specializes in Rock-types."

"I know," replied Terrell. "That's why I've got Munchy and Twiggy."

The two youths continued to walk along the route, before arriving outside the Oreburgh Gate, a cave that connected Route 203 to Oreburgh City.

"Here we go," uttered Terrell as the two of them walked into the cave, using their Pokétches to light the way. It was dark, with water dripping down.

"I have a confession to make," uttered Natasha. "I'm scared of caves. They're too dark and leave me lost."

"Just stick with me, and you'll be fine," replied Terrell, as Natasha smiled in relief. Suddenly, a scream echoed throughout the cave.

"AAAH!" shouted Natasha as she held onto Terrell in fear. Terrell merely shrugged and continued walking through the cave.

"Probably just a Zubat," replied Terrell. Then, as if it was a coincidence, a Zubat flew down from the top of the cave.

"AAAAAH!" shouted Natasha. "Defeat it, please!"

"I'll handle this," replied Terrell. "Munchy, you're up."

Munchy jumped down from Terrell's shoulder, and snarled at the Zubat. The bat Pokémon lunged down at Munchy, biting at him with his fangs. Munchy howled in pain as his energy was drained.

"Tackle, now!" shouted Terrell. Munchy dashed at the Zubat, slamming into it and knocking it into the cave wall.

"Use Bulk Up now!" shouted Terrell. Munchy slammed his belly as he prepared for the next attack. As the Zubat lunged at him, Munchy jumped onto him, slamming down with a brutal Tackle. The Zubat could barely hold on at this point.

"Charchar, use Ember!" Natasha shouted. Charchar jumped off of her shoulder, shooting a blast of fire at the Zubat. It was knocked out by the flames.

"Nice job!" shouted Terrell. "You didn't have to hold onto me back there though."

"I was scared," replied Natasha. "Besides, we're close friends, aren't we?"

"I guess," replied Terrell. Natasha merely smiled as the two of them walked out of the Oreburgh Gate, into Oreburgh City. The air was fresh with the scent of coal, with the Gym standing in the center of the city.

"I'll need to do some more training before the Gym Battle," uttered Terrell.

* * *

The next chapter will either be a training chapter with some conversation between Terrell and Natasha, or the Gym battle against Roark.


	5. Chapter 4: The Battle Ahead

This chapter is mainly filler, but it helps develop the relationship between the characters. Also, I realized that Munchlax can't learn Bulk Up, so I replaced it with Work Up.

* * *

"Twiggy, Razor Leaf!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy readied several leaves, and sent them flying towards Munchy. Munchy was hit by several of them, but managed to jump out of the way.

"Work Up!" shouted Terrell. Munchy got into a defensive position, readying himself for the next attack to come at him.

"Use Razor Leaf again and attack at long range!" Terrell shouted again. Twiggy shot several leaves at Munchy, knocking him out of his position. Munchy, however, held on.

"Tackle!" shouted Terrell. Munchy dashed at Twiggy, knocking him into the wall of the battlefield. This mock battle would help the two of them refine their skills for the upcoming gym battle.

Natasha watched Terrell train his Pokémon in admiration. She had known him for a good chunk of her life, and sought to get closer to him. It was the whole reason why she went on this journey in the first place. As the training wrapped up, she walked over to Terrell.

"We should take a break," Terrell said to Natasha. She nodded in agreement, and the two of them walked into the Pokémon Center, sitting down at a table.

"Do you have a strategy in mind?" asked Natasha.

"I'm going to play defensively," replied Terrell. "Twiggy's got Withdraw, and Munchy has Work Up. Use those, then counteratttack when Roark's Pokémon hit."

"Smart," replied Natasha. "I really hope you win."

"As do I," replied Terrell. "This is going to be a really tough battle."

Munchy began delving into the bag of Berries Terrell had set aside, handing them out to the other Pokémon. Terrell smiled at Munchy before looking back at Natasha. Suddenly, a man walked up to the two of them.

"Could I have a moment of your time, young man?" asked the man. He had a green shirt on and a pair of shorts.

"Sure," replied Terrell. "What do you need?"

"I'd like you to have this Egg," replied the man. "I think you'll find the Pokémon inside to be useful."

"Well, thanks," replied Terrell. "What's inside?"

"You'll find out," replied the man as he walked off. Terrell merely grasped the egg in his hands, and looked at Natasha with a smile.

"I'll need to get a container for the egg," Terrell said to Natasha. "And I have a gym battle soon."

* * *

So that's the end of Chapter 4. I know it's a shorter chapter, but it's still a good one.


	6. Chapter 5: Oreburgh Gym Battle

Gym battle time!

* * *

Terrell entered the Oreburgh Gym alongside Natasha. It seemed to be located inside a cavernous area, with stalagmites on the ceiling. Roark, the Gym Leader, walked up to Terrell. He wore a red mining helmet and a jacket.

"I assume you're here to challenge my gym?" asked Roark. "If so, follow me."

Terrell and Roark walked into the battlefield, where a Pokémon League official was standing.

"It'll be a two versus two battle," uttered Roark. "Let me know when you've chosen your two Pokémon."

Terrell sat down on a bench with Natasha, seeing which Pokémon he should choose.

"I think I'll go with Munchy and Twiggy," uttered Terrell. "Electro will be too vulnerable here."

"I'll stay here and watch," replied Natasha. "Good luck."

Terrell smiled before walking onto his side of the battlefield, staring at Roark.

"First to defeat the opponent's Pokémon wins!" shouted the referee.

"Go, Geodude!" shouted Roark as he threw out a Poké Ball. A Geodude emerged from the Poké Ball, readying its fists.

"Twiggy, let's go!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy emerged from his Poké Ball, and smirked at Terrell before facing the Geodude.

"Rock Throw!" shouted Roark. Geodude picked up a rock off the ground, and tossed it at Twiggy. However, the turtle Pokémon shrugged it off, and got into a defensive position.

"Razor Leaf! shouted Terrell. Twiggy readied his leaves, and fired them at Geodude. Geodude was knocked back by the leaves due to its poor mobility.

"Mega Punch!" shouted Roark. Geodude readied his fist, and jumped at Twiggy, hitting him with a massive fist of rock. Twiggy was knocked back, but got back up and stabilized himself.

"Tackle!" shouted Terrell in response to the punch. Twiggy began dashing at Geodude, eager to inflict some damage.

"Wide Guard!" shouted Roark in response. Geodude immediately created a wall of stone in front of him, which knocked back Twiggy, onto the ground. Terrell gasped in shock as Twiggy struggled to get up.

"Razor Leaf," shouted Terrell. Twiggy fired off massive leaves at Geodude, which knocked him into the ground and successfully knocked him out.

"The winner of this round is Terrell!" shouted the referee. As Roark got Geodude back into his Poké Ball, Terrell yelled in excitement. Natasha merely smiled as Charchar jumped in happiness.

"Let's see if you can handle sheer force," uttered Roark. "Go, Cranidos!"

Cranidos leapt out of his Poké Ball, and growled at Twiggy.

"Razor Leaf!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy readied his leaves, and fired them at Cranidos.

"Dodge, and use Headbutt!" shouted Roark. Cranidos dashed out of the way, and sprinted at Twiggy, smashing into him with a fearsome headbutt. Twiggy went flying, landing on the ground, fainted.

"Twiggy, no!" shouted Terrell. Roark merely smirked.

"The winner of this round is Roark!" shouted the referee. Natasha gasped in shock, but continued to eagerly watch the match as Terrell brought Twiggy back into his Poké Ball.

"Munchy, let's go!" shouted Terrell. Munchy jumped off of Terrell's shoulder, and snarled at Cranidos.

"Work Up!" shouted Terrell. Munchlax got into a defensive position, readying himself for the next attack.

"Let's see if he can handle this new move," thought Terrell. Roark merely smirked.

"Headbutt," Roark muttered smugly. Cranidos charged at Munchy, preparing to slam into him.

"Here it comes!" shouted Terrell. "Use Counter!"

Munchy jumped onto Cranidos's head, and slammed his body into it. Cranidos went flying back, landing on the ground. Despite this, it remained alive and vigilant.

"Clever," uttered Roark. "Use Slam."

Cranidos dashed at Munchy, slamming him with his tail. Munchy went flying, but held on, and growled.

"Tackle!" shouted Terrell. Munchy sprinted at Cranidos, preparing to charge into him.

"Dodge and use Headbutt!" shouted Roark in response. Cranidos ran out of the way, and prepared to slam into Munchy.

"Counter," uttered Terrell with a smirk on his face. Munchy slammed into Cranidos's head again, knocking out the Pokémon.

"Terrell wins!" shouted the referee. Terrell cheered in excitement, while Natasha ran towards him and hugged him.

"You did it!" shouted Natasha. "I knew you could do it."

Terrell smiled at Natasha, before getting out of her arms and heading towards Roark.

"You fought well kid," uttered Roark. "Here's the Coal Badge."

Terrell took the badge from Roark, and put it in his badge case.

"Eterna City, here we come!" shouted Terrell as he pounded his fist in the air. Natasha smiled at him in admiration.

* * *

And now we have the first badge! I plan for more cameos to happen on the journey to the Pokémon League.


	7. Chapter 6: The Town of Flowers

The start of a new week brings forth the start of the next major arc of the story. This chapter is a more Natasha-centered one to help build the relationship between the two.

* * *

Terrell and Natasha walked down Route 204. Having braved the Ravaged Path, they continued to make their way to Floarama Town in the north.

"Floarama Town's just north of here," uttered Terrell. "It's the next town before my gym battle."

"So, are we gonna keep travelling together through Sinnoh?" asked Natasha. She was anxious to find out.

"Don't ask such an obvious question," replied Terrell. "I need your support for my gym battles, and you know it."

Natasha blushed as she looked at Terrell in admiration. She knew that some day they'd be together, and that she'd have to keep trying to get close to him. The two trainers continued walking down the road to Floarama, eager to see what the town had to offer.

"Hold up!" shouted a young boy. He wore his blue baseball cap backwards and had a Poké Ball in his hand. "I challenge you to a battle!"

"Let's do it then!" shouted Terrell. "Electro, head on out!"

Electro jumped out of his Poké Ball, and pounded his fists into the air.

"Shinx, come on out!" shouted the boy in response. A Shinx leapt out, and snarled at Electro.

"Use Low Kick!" Terrell shouted. Electro dashed at Shinx, kicking at its legs and knocking it down.

"Throw out a nice Brick Break now!" shouted Terrell. Electro prepared to bring down his arm in a crippling strike that would hit Shinx hard.

"Dodge, and use Tackle!" shouted the boy. Shinx got up, and charged at Electro, knocking him back.

"Brick Break again!" shouted Terrell. Electro dashed at the Shinx, preparing to deliver a swift chop.

"Tackle!" shouted the boy in response. Shinx dashed at Electro as the two of them struck each other, colliding in a massive explosion of dust. Natasha gasped upon seeing this, knowing that Terrell could have lost this battle.

"Ele...kid..." muttered Electro as he got up. Shinx was down, and Electro had won.

"Guess you win," muttered the boy as he walked off.

"Electro, return," uttered Terrell as Electro reentered his Poké Ball. Natasha smirked at Terrell before the two of them continued walking down to Floarama. The trees lining the route seemed to look more beautiful as they got closer to Floarama. Natasha and Charchar looked in awe at the trees, as did Terrell and Munchy. Eventually, the group arrived in Floarama Town.

"Let's stay the night here," uttered Terrell. "I'll book two rooms in Pokémon Center."

Natasha smiled at Terrell as he entered the Pokémon Center, and sat down at a bench. She looked at Charchar, and smiled.

"Do you think I can get Terrell to like me more?" Natasha asked Charchar. The fire monkey Pokémon jumped around, and smiled at Natasha.

"I know he likes me, but I like him more than you think," Natasha muttered. "I've known him since we were kids, and I've always admired him. I think...I think I might love him."

"Char?" muttered Charchar. He looked worryingly at his Trainer, jumping onto her shoulder.

"Should I tell him?" muttered Natasha. "Or do I keep it inside of me until the time is right?"

Terrell walked up to Natasha with a key in hand.

"Catch," Terrell said as he threw the key to Natasha. She gripped the key, and smiled at Terrell. He was everything she could want in a guy. Funny, smart, good-looking. She got up off the bench, and walked over to the Pokémon Center with Terrell.

* * *

Terrell sat in his room, getting ready for bed. He saw his Pokémon sitting on the bed, and smiled. But one thing stuck in his mind.

Natasha.

He knew she was a great friend, and a reliable ally in his journey across Sinnoh. Yet, he felt something greater. He felt as if they had a real connection, a true bond. Terrell knew that he liked her, but felt as if something greater would eventually develop.

"Good night everyone," uttered Terrell as he jumped into bed. His Pokémon slept on the bed, on top of his legs. And Natasha, who was in the room to the left of his, smiled and went to sleep.

* * *

Thus begins the Eterna City arc. I really want to develop the relationship between these two characters, and let Natasha catch a new Pokémon.


	8. Chapter 7: The Mansion in the Woods

New chapter time! In other news, I've recently joined the Pokémon community known as Lake Valor thanks to a recommendation from a reader, and I highly recommend going there for Pokémon discussions and to find people to play with in Sun & Moon or Showdown. Anyways, let's get into the story. This chapter's gonna be longer than usual.

* * *

"Eterna Forest," muttered Terrell. "One of the wonders of Sinnoh."

Terrell and Natasha stood in front of the Eterna Forest, north of Floarama. It was the last obstacle before they could reach Terrell's second gym battle in Eterna City. The trees towered over the landscape, with Bug, Grass, and even Ghost-type Pokémon capable of being sighted by looking through the trees.

"I've heard stories about this forest," uttered Natasha. "They say there's some stuff with ghosts in here."

"Just stick with me," uttered Terrell. "You'll be fine."

Natasha smiled at Terrell before the two of them walked into the forest. As they walked in, Terrell took the egg he received in Oreburgh out of his bag to check on it.

"The egg's warm," uttered Terrell. "I feel like it'll hatch soon."

"I wonder what's inside," replied Natasha. Terrell smirked before putting the egg back in his bag and continuing to walk through the forest. It was dark, and neither of them knew what would come after them. Munchy and Charchar both grasped onto their Trainers' shoulders in fear, shivering. Yet, murmurs and even the most haunting of sounds could be heard throughout the forest.

"Wonder if there's any good Pokémon here," uttered Natasha. "I really need to catch something else."

"You'll find something," replied Terrell. "Eterna Forest is known for it's biodiversity."

Terrell stepped on a twig on the ground, producing a cracking noise.

"SHHH!" whispered Natasha. "You don't want to attract the attention of a Pokémon!"

Then, out of what appeared to be a coincidence, an Aipom jumped from a tree, onto Natasha's hat.

"Hey, get off!" shouted Natasha. Terrell pulled out a Poké Ball immediately.

"Twiggy, head on out!" shouted Terrell as he threw his Poké Ball. Twiggy jumped out, and snarled at the Aipom.

"Razor Leaf!" shouted Terrell as Twiggy fired his leaves at the Aipom. It was hit by three of them, but dodged many of them and hooked onto a tree branch with its tail. It then jumped down onto Twiggy, knocking it down. Aipom then proceeded to slap Twiggy several times with his tail while laughing.

"Get up and use Tackle!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy pushed Aipom off of his back, and charged at him while he was dazed. Aipom went flying into a tree, but hooked onto a branch again.

"Withdraw!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy gathered energy from the nearby ground, then, just as Aipom swooped down, he smashed into the barrier. landing onto the ground. Aipom had clearly fainted.

"Nice work Twiggy," uttered Terrell as he pulled him back into his Poké Ball. Natasha merely looked at him with a smile on her face.

"You know, I could've handled Aipom easily," uttered Natasha. "You didn't have to do that."

"I can't stand seeing you that terrified," replied Terrell. "Plus, it's good training."

Natasha blushed at Terrell after hearing these words. She could tell he had some thoughts about her, but decided to keep playing the game known as flirting. The two Trainers continued walking for some distance, until they spotted a mansion in the woods, covered in vines.

"Please tell me we're not going in there," uttered Natasha. Terrell merely smirked before grabbing her hand and dashing inside. She was both scared and in awe at the same time.

"It'll be good training," replied Terrell. "Plus, we might find some Pokémon to catch."

A laughing noise echoed through the house.

"AAAH!" shouted the two Trainers as they held onto each other in fear.

"What was that?" asked Terrell. His brown hair was on end, as he tried to comfort both himself and his friend.

"I have no idea," replied Natasha as she held onto her crush. Then, the lights began flickering in the house.

"The lights still work?" muttered Terrell. "Strange. Let's see what's going on in here."

Terrell and Natasha continued to walk through the house, noticing the flickering lights. They entered a room with a TV and several posters. However, the TV was constantly flickering, changing channels rapidly.

"What if I turn it off?" thought Terrell. However, as he neared the power button, a Rotom jumped out of the TV, and began laughing hysterically as Terrell and Natasha jumped back.

"By Helix I got you good!" shouted the Rotom in a wisecracking voice.

"YOU CAN TALK?!" screamed Natasha.

"Well, when ya enter electronic devices so often, you eventually pick up some human speech," replied the Rotom. "Now, I have a proposition for you two."

"Go on," replied Natasha, clearly fascinated by this talking Rotom.

"I've been lonely for years," replied the Rotom. "I like to pull tricks on visitors by entering the electronic appliances in here to draw their attention, but they always run away. Until today."

"Ah," replied Natasha as she grasped a Poké Ball in her hand. "Charchar, use Ember."

Charchar let out a thundering roar before shooting a chunk of fire at Rotom.

"BY ARCEUS THAT HURTS!" shouted the Rotom alongside a multitude of swears that the two Trainers failed to understand. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to catch you," replied Natasha. Rotom merely showed a dull expression.

"You could've asked," replied Rotom. "Just throw out the Poké Ball and catch me."

Natasha threw the Poké Ball at Rotom. It spun around for several seconds, before clicking. Rotom then jumped out of his Poké Ball.

"I'll stick outside of that thing, thank you very much," replied Rotom in a smirky accent. "You mind if I enter your Pokétch?"

"Not at all," replied Natasha. Rotom smirked before entering the watch, and showing his face.

"Now, let's go!" replied Rotom. "If you want to battle with me, just let me out of here."

Natasha and Terrell smirked before walking out of the mansion. As they continued walking through the forest, Rotom told them stories about the countless tricks he had pulled on visitors to the mansion, about his Alolan cousin who entered a kid's Pokédex, and other interesting things that he knew.

"You never shut up, do you?" muttered Terrell in a sarcastic manner.

"Never do and never will," replied Rotom. Natasha and Terrell merely smiled at each other before exiting the forest and arriving in Eterna City.

* * *

Natasha sat in her room within the Pokémon Center. She had already changed into her sleepwear, with her long blond hair let down from its usual ponytail. Rotom was jumping around the room, playing with Charchar. Natasha had a lot on her mind, but it was primarily about Terrell, and how he said he couldn't stand seeing her terrified.

"Something on your mind?" asked Rotom, curiously. Charchar merely provided him with an explanation before he turned to face Natasha again.  
"Ah, now I see. You like him, don't ya?"

"It's more than that," replied Natasha. "We've known each other since we were kids, and I feel a real connection to him. If only there was a way to get closer to him..."

"Well, why don't you admit you love him?" asked Rotom.

"It'll feel too early," replied Natasha. "Plus, what if he says no?"

"In the end, it's up to you," replied Rotom.

"Thanks for talking to me Rotom," replied Natasha as she smiled. "I'm glad I caught you."

"Glad to be of help!" replied Rotom. "I hope Terrell does a good job training for his second gym battle tomorrow."

"As do I," replied Natasha.

* * *

And thus ends the chapter. I'm glad I implemented Rotom as a character, especially since I made him able to talk. Anyways, see you again.


	9. Chapter 8: Welcome to Eterna

The end of the week brings a new chapter!

* * *

Terrell and Natasha sat in front of a sunset, watching the sun go down. Eterna Forest looked beautiful at this angle, and the two of them did as well.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" muttered Terrell. "To sit watching this with a good friend."

"It is," replied Natasha. "You know, I have something to tell you."

"You do?" replied Terrell.

"Yes," replied Natasha. "I..."

* * *

"Wake-up time!" shouted Rotom. "The time's 7:30, and we've got a whole day to explore Eterna City!"

"I was having a really good dream though..." replied Natasha as she got out of bed. Charchar was sleeping on a table, and Rotom flicked his ear, causing the fire monkey Pokémon to jump up and scowl at Rotom in anger.

* * *

Terrell jumped out of bed after hearing Rotom's wake-up speech in the other room. His three Pokémon were already awake, roaming around the room. Terrell smirked, knowing that today would be a day to see what's inside Eterna City, to train, and to talk with Natasha. Terrell was beginning to see that she thought of him highly and liked him a lot.

"Okay guys," uttered Terrell. "Today's gonna be our training day for the gym here. Ready?"

Terrell's Pokémon cheered in excitement as they got ready. As Terrell walked out the door, he bumped into Natasha on the way.

"Hey," uttered Terrell. "Ready for today?"

"Yep," replied Natasha. "Can't wait to see what's in Eterna City."

Terrell and Natasha walked down to the dining area of the Pokémon Center, where they sat down alongside their Pokémon to eat their breakfast.

"So you're gonna be training for a bit?" asked Natasha.

"Yep," replied Terrell. "I gotta train for the gym battle."

"Oh," replied Natasha in a somber tone. "I was sort of hoping we could look around Eterna City together."

"We can do that for sure," replied Terrell. "After all, I can't just train the whole day."

"Yay!" replied Natasha in excitement. In reality, she was incredibly pleased to see that Terrell was willing to hang out with her. Suddenly, Rotom jumped out of Natasha's Pokétch.

"Alright, then off we go!" shouted Rotom. "A new day, and a new chance to prepare for the journey ahead of us!"

* * *

"Electro, Thunder Punch!" shouted Terrell. Electro readied his fist, and charged at Munchy, slamming his electrified arm into him. Munchy was knocked back, but managed to stabilize himself.

"Tackle!" shouted Terrell. Munchy dashed at Electro, but Electro managed to jump away from the tackle. Munchy crashed into the ground, but got up quickly.

"Thunder Punch and Tackle!" shouted Terrell. The two Pokémon obeyed, lunging at each other with terrifying speed and firepower. As they charged at each other, electrical energy and dust went flying all over the battlefield, eventually resulting in the two Pokémon lying on the ground, exhausted from all the battling.

"Good job guys," uttered Terrell as he fed them some berries. "Now, let's take a break and look around the city."

Terrell and Natasha walked out of the battlefield alongside their Pokémon. The streets of Eterna were busy, with people walking around constantly. Pokémon were often seen running around playfully, with their Trainers struggling to keep them quiet.

"Do I make my move?" thought Natasha. "Or do I wait longer?"

Natasha attempted to take Terrell's hand, but then decided against it. The two of them kept walking before arriving at Eterna City's famous dragon statue.

"They say the Pokémon that created the world was the inspiration for this statue," uttered Natasha. "It's incredible."

"Yeah, it is amazing," replied Terrell. He looked at Natasha in admiration, and smiled. "You wanna know something?"

"What?" replied Natasha. She was anxious to find out.

"I'm glad I met you," replied Terrell. "You're a good friend, and I like travelling with you."

"I feel the same way about you," replied Natasha as she blushed.

* * *

Shorter chapter, but it's important to the development of our two heroes. If the hand-holding scene didn't remind you of the thing Ash and Serena had, I don't know what will. I'm a big Amourshipper myself, and I can say that there will be something once Ash comes into the story.


	10. Chapter 9: Fight for the Badge

That feeling when you've spent ages writing the new chapter, only for it to delete as soon as you hit "Submit Document". That's what I feel right now. Gonna be typing endlessly to get the story down quickly. This may be a shorter chapter due to me wanting to get a critical plot point focused on, and the gym battle feels like it's blocking the way for the vital plot point.

* * *

"I'd like to challenge the Gym," uttered Terrell as he stood in the Eterna Gym. Natasha, Charchar, and Rotom stood in the crowd, preparing to watch the battle. Gardenia, the Gym Leader, was sitting down in a chair, reading a book on Eterna City's history.

"Very well," replied Gardenia. "Let's battle then."

Terrell and Gardenia stood on their respective sides of the battlefield, readying themselves for the battle.

"Electro, head on out!" shouted Terrell as he threw out a Poké Ball. Electro slammed his fists together, and let out a battle cry.

"Turtwig, let's go!" shouted Gardenia. A Turtwig emerged from a Poké Ball, snarling at Electro. Terrell was intrigued that she also had a Turtwig, but didn't let it bother him.

"Thunder Punch," shouted Terrell. Electro charged at Turtwig, slamming into it with an electrified fist. Turtwig, however, managed to hold on, readying itself for battle.

"Tackle!" shouted Gardenia. Turtwig lunged at Electro, slamming into him headfirst. Electro went flying back, barely holding on. Yet, he could still fight.

"Thunder Wave!" shouted Terrell. Electro let out an electrified blast that stunned Turtwig, leaving it vulnerable.

"Now let out a Low Kick!" uttered Terrell. Electro dashed at Turtwig, kicking him down. Turtwig was injured by the kick, but barely held on.

"Seed Bomb!" shouted Gardenia. Turtwig fired off a massive seed at Electro, which made its way down to the ground.

"Punch it back!" shouted Terrell. Electro let loose a punch at the seed, sending it towards Turtwig. It detonated, sending debris at Turtwig and knocking it out.

"Tur...twig..." muttered Turtwig as it fainted. Terrell cheered in excitement, as did Natasha and her Pokémon.

"Turtwig is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins!"

"Electro, return," uttered Terrell. "Munchy, head on out!"

Munchy jumped off of Terrell's shoulder, finishing the Berry he was eating earlier.

"Roserade, let's do this!" shouted Gardenia. Roserade emerged from its Poké Ball, getting into a battle stance.

"Sludge Bomb!" shouted Gardenia. Roserade fired off a blast of sludge, which hit Munchy. The poisonous liquid entered Munchy, harming him.

"No..." thought Terrell. "Poison's gonna be bad."

"Tackle!" shouted Terrell. Munchy, although poison, readily obeyed. He dashed at Roserade, and slammed into it with its body. The Grass-type Pokémon managed to hold on, but was injured to a degree.

"Energy Ball," uttered Gardenia. Roserade produced a ball of energy from its flowerlike hands, and threw it at Munchy. The ball slammed right into him, knocking him into a wall. At this point, the poison was crippling the Pokémon.

"Let's see if you can manage a Tackle," uttered Terrell. Munchy ran at Roserade, and although he managed to land a powerful hit, he collapsed from the poison.

"Munchy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins! The next Pokémon that faints will determine the winner of the battle."

Gardenia smirked as she high-fived Roserade, while Charchar and Rotom brought the unconscious Munchy to the spectator stand.

"Electro, let's finish this!" shouted Terrell. Electro jumped onto the ground, and let loose a battle cry.

"Thunder Wave!" shouted Terrell. Electro fired off a quick-moving jolt of electricity that hit Roserade, paralyzing it.

"Oh no," uttered Gardenia. "Roserade, use Sludge Bomb."

Roserade fired a blast of sludge into the air, due to the paralysis affecting its ability to aim. The sludge smashed into the ground, but some of the residue got on Electro, damaging him, but not poisoning him.

"Finish this with Thunder Punch!" uttered Terrell. Electro ran at Roserade, hitting it in the head with a strong-armed Thunder Punch. Roserade...was knocked out.

"Roserade is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins the battle!"

"YES!" shouted Terrell. He hugged Electro in happiness as Natasha and the others came on down. As Natasha hugged Terrell, Rotom gave her a smirk, knowing what she was trying to pull off.

"You fought well kid," uttered Gardenia. "Here's the Forest Badge."

Terrell put the badge in his case, and exited the gym.

"We'll have to trek through Mt. Coronet to get to Hearthome City, where the next gym is," uttered Terrell. "Fortunately, I hear they've installed tunnels in the mountain."

"Can we see one of those famous Pokémon Contests in Hearthome?" asked Natasha. "I hear the famous Coordinator Dawn is performing in one in a few days."

"We'll try to catch that," replied Terrell. "I even heard Dawn travelled with Ash Ketchum in the past."

Suddenly, a Riolu popped its head out of Terrell's backpack. It appeared as if the Egg had hatched earlier!

"Ri-olu!" shouted the Riolu as it jumped out of the backpack. Terrell took out a Poké Ball, and looked at the Riolu with a smile on his face.

"Hey Riolu," uttered Terrell. "You wanna come with me on a journey?"

Riolu smiled at Terrell in joy, knowing instinctively that he was the one who kept his Egg. Terrell smiled back before throwing the Poké Ball at Riolu. It shook four times before clicking shut. Riolu was caught!

"All right!" shouted Terrell. "A new Pokémon!"

Terrell let Riolu out of his Poké Ball, while thinking about a name. One name came to mind: Chikara. It meant "strength" in another language.

"I'll name you Chikara," uttered Terrell. "Now, let's see how you do in battle, Chikara."

* * *

And that ends it. I planned for the Egg to have a Riolu the whole time, and I can say that it will Mega Evolve at some point. I spent ages retyping this, and I hope it was worth the wait.


	11. Chapter 10: Into the Mountain

Surprise Chapter incoming!

* * *

"Mt. Coronet," uttered Terrell. "The jewel of Sinnoh."

Terrell and Natasha stood before Mt. Coronet, on a road leading into the mountain. Snow covered much of the mountain, and the cliff faces looked sharp and intimidating. As they walked down the road, winds could be felt coming down the mountain.

"Hold up!" shouted a young boy. He had a green and brown hat on, a black hoodie, and a Gible on his shoulder.

"Yeah?" asked Terrell. "You want to battle?"

"That's why I called you over," replied the boy. "Name's Chris. Me and Gible here are doing the Pokémon League challenge."

"I am too," replied Terrell. "Let's battle. I'm anxious to see how this new Pokémon of mine is in battle."

"Alright then," replied Chris. "Gible, head on out."

Gible jumped off of Chris's shoulder, and let out a strong roar.

"Chikara, I choose you!" shouted Terrell as he threw out a Poké Ball. Chikara jumped out, and let loose his fists into the air.

"A Riolu, huh?" uttered Chris. "This'll be interesting."

"Use Vacuum Wave!" shouted Terrell. Chikara gathered energy from the air, turned it into a ball of energy, and threw it at Gible. Gible was knocked back, but got back up.

"Dragon Claw!" shouted Chris. Gible charged at Chikara, slashing him with his sharp claws. Chikara managed to hold on, but was injured.

"Throw out a nice Hidden Power!" shouted Terrell. Riolu fired a blast of mysterious energy at Gible, which constantly changed color.

"Dodge and use Bulldoze!" shouted Chris in response. Gible lunged out of the way, and slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave at Chikara. He endured the attack, but still took some damage.

"Nasty Plot," uttered Terrell. Riolu pounded his fists together, calming his mind and increasing his attack power.

"Gible, Bulldoze again," uttered Chris. Gible slammed into the ground again, sending out a shockwave of energy.

"Counter!" shouted Terrell. Riolu drew in the shockwave with the power inside of him granted by Nasty Plot, and fired it at Gible, knocking him out. Terrell had won the battle.

"Good battle," uttered Chris as he brought Gible into his Poké Ball. "I hope we can battle again, potentially when the League Conference comes around."

"As do I," replied Terrell. "See you again."

Terrell and Natasha walked towards Mt. Coronet, making their way into the mountain. The tunnel connecting Route 207 to Mt. Coronet was dark, only lit up by a few lanterns. Entrances to the depths of the mountain could be seen, though they were blocked off by gates.

"This is better than most caves we've been in," uttered Natasha. "It's...calmer."

"I agree," replied Terrell. "I like it here."

"So," replied Natasha as she inched closer to Terrell. "I hear Hearthome's a popular place to live for couples."

"Sounds nice," replied Terrell. "I also hear that Hearthome's Pokémon Contests are immensely popular."

"Yeah," replied Natasha. "I watched a few on TV when I was a kid, alongside those Pokémon Showcases from Kalos, but those kinds of things never really got to me. I've always been more of a travelling person, going to places I've never seen before."

"Well, you must be glad you chose to come with me," replied Terrell. Natasha blushed and smirked at Rotom, whose face could be seen on her Pokétch. Rotom winked at her, while inputting the phrase "Well played" onto the Pokétch screen.

"What's that you're looking at on your Pokétch?" asked Terrell. Natasha quickly moved to hide it, while maintaining a sneaky smile.

"Nothing," replied Natasha, as if she was trying to prove she wasn't guilty. "Nothing at all."

"Alright then," replied Terrell. "Let's keep going."

Terrell and Natasha continued walking down the tunnel, before seeing an opened-up gate leading into the mountain. Three archaeologists stepped before them. One of them had pink hair, another had light blue hair, and one was much shorter than the others.

"Pardon me young trainers," uttered the blue-haired archaeologist. "If you intend on coming through here, then we'll need some identification."

"Oh, we're not headed that way," Terrell replied. "We're just heading down to Hearthome."

"Good, these kids are unaware of what we're doing," muttered the shorter archaeologist. Suddenly, a Wobbuffet emerged from its Poké Ball.

"Wobbuffet!" shouted the Wobbuffet. The three archaeologists rushed towards it in an attempt to shut it up, while Terrell and Natasha rolled their eyes and continued walking along.

"Weird guys," uttered Terrell. "Seems like they'd annoy the crap out of you if they followed you around everywhere."

"Anyways, it's great that we're travelling together," replied Natasha. "Reminds me of my childhood."

"Yeah," replied Terrell. "Looks like we're nearing the exit of the mountain."

* * *

And that ends it. I think it's obvious who the archaeologists are, and while they won't play a major role in this story, they will play a huge role in the second story in the trilogy I have planned. Anyways, see you next time.


	12. Chapter 11: A Stroll through Amity Squar

Here comes Friday's chapter. Because Hearthome holds a lot, I'll be splitting the arc into three chapters: a character development one in Amity Square (this chapter), the Contest viewing, and the gym battle against Fantina.

* * *

"Terrell, I have something to tell you," uttered Natasha as she looked at Terrell fondly. "I like you. A lot."

"Huh," replied Terrell. "Well, in that case..."

Terrell and Natasha neared each other, about to kiss. Natasha was immensely exited, but then something happened.

* * *

"Wake up!" shouted Rotom. "You slept in again."

"Sometimes I just want to slap you," uttered Natasha. "I was having an amazing dream."

"Let me guess," uttered Rotom. "It's about Terrell."

"You guessed right," replied Natasha. "I'm actually hoping we can bond more here in Hearthome."

"Smart," replied Rotom. "I hear Amity Square's nice."

"Amity Square?" asked Natasha, curiously.

"It's a park in Hearthome where people walk with their Pokémon," replied Rotom. "You'd like it, and I certainly would."

"Sounds fun!" replied Natasha. She had just finished getting ready, and left her room in the Pokémon Center. However, as she stepped out, she bumped into Terrell.

"Hey," uttered Natasha with a blush on her face. "Sorry about that."

"Don't mention it," replied Terrell. "Now, the contest Dawn's participating in is tomorrow, and I don't think I'm ready for the gym battle just yet. Any ideas?"

"I've heard Amity Square is a fun place to go to," replied Natasha. "People walk their Pokémon there."

"Sounds nice," replied Terrell. "I'd love to go there."

Terrell and Natasha left the Pokémon Center, and walked along the road to Amity Square. The streets of Hearthome were full of people, especially young couples. As she walked, Natasha thought about whether she should confess to Terrell or not, clearly conflicted.

"Something on your mind?" asked Terrell. "You look like you're deep in thought."

"I'm just tired," replied Natasha. "Rotom annoyed me a bit when he woke me up."

"In my defense, you slept in," replied Rotom as he jumped out of Natasha's Pokétch. "You would've been sleeping for ages if I didn't wake you up."

Natasha gave Rotom a smirk before continuing to walk alongside Terrell. Charchar was excitedly hopping from shoulder to shoulder, while Munchy was busy eating the berries in Terrell's bag. Eventually, the group arrived at the gate to Amity Square. A guard was sleeping at his desk, prompting Terrell to ring the bell near him.

"Gah!" shouted the guard as he woke up. "You two going into Amity Square?"

"Yep," replied Terrell. "Do you need to identify anything, or are we free to walk through?"

"Go on ahead you two," replied the guard as he smiled. "You know you two make a cute couple."

"Oh, uh...," uttered Terrell as he began profusely sweating. Natasha was blushing, but saw that Terrell appeared to be embarrassed. She could tell something was up. "Thanks for the compliment, I guess."

"You two have a good time," replied the guard. Terrell and Natasha walked along, with Terrell still stressed about what happened. Natasha was clearly concerned, and put her arm over Terrell's shoulder.

"You looked stressed back there," uttered Natasha. "Something wrong?"

"That remark the guard made," uttered Terrell. "It got me thinking about stuff. About...us."

"Well, to be honest, I can't take it any longer either," replied Natasha. "It's about time I tell you the truth."

"The truth?" asked Terrell. "Are you implying that-"

"Yes, I am," replied Natasha. "I like you. A lot."

"Wow," replied Terrell. "This is so sudden. How long have you had these feelings for me?"

"Since childhood," replied Natasha. "I always thought you were a great guy, one who was super confident and sought to persevere through anything. I...I love you."

Natasha blushed immensely. She had finally confessed, and it felt good. Charchar was excitedly running around, while Rotom was anxiously awaiting Terrell's response.

"Well, it's not like I haven't thought about it either," replied Terrell. "Granted, I really only started thinking about stuff like this since we started travelling together, but I still have thoughts about it nonetheless."

"Really?" asked Natasha excitedly. She couldn't believe that her friend also had feeling for her.

"I do," replied Terrell. "You're really nice and supportive. I need someone like that in my life. I...I love you too."

Terrell and Natasha embraced, while Rotom smirked at the two of them.

"Alright, let's celebrate your newfound love for each other on a nice walk," replied Rotom.

"You're right," replied Terrell as he smirked at his new girlfriend. "Come on out!"

Terrell threw all of his Poké Balls out, sending Twiggy, Electro, and Chikara out.

"Guys, I have an important announcement to make," uttered Terrell as he held hands with Natasha. "We're a couple now."

Terrell's Pokémon cheered in excitement, running around. Terrell smiled at his Pokémon, knowing that they supported his decision. Natasha was amazed as well, and continued holding Terrell's hand.

"Now let's have a nice walk," uttered Terrell. The group walked through Amity Square, seeing what they could find.

* * *

"This sucks," uttered a Meowth that could apparently talk. He was digging through the depths of Mt. Coronet alongside two humans in search of important Sinnohian relics they had been sent to secure by their boss. "We used to do fun stuff like catch the twerp's Pikachu. Now, it's digging for artifacts."

"The boss wanted us to do this," uttered a blue-haired man. "Besides, we all know he has something planned."

"James, we all know we hate this," replied Meowth. "We've been at this for days now. Who knows what we'll find?"

A clunking noise could be heard from a nearby hole. A pink-haired woman was inside, digging away.

"Did you find something Jessie?" asked James.

"I think I did," replied Jessie.

* * *

Terrell and Natasha were busy walking through Amity Square alongside their Pokémon. As they were walking, they managed to discuss many things, including how they wanted the relationship to go as well as Pokémon training and battling.

"I'm glad I confessed," uttered Natasha. "To be honest, you were the reason why I went on this journey."

"Wow," replied Terrell. "That's amazing."

Suddenly, the nearby grass rustled. A Buizel jumped out, and snarled at Terrell and Natasha.

"I'll handle this," replied Terrell. "Twiggy, use Tackle!"

Twiggy charged at the Buizel, knocking it a good distance. Buizel got up, and charged at Twiggy.

"Use Withdraw, quick!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy erected a barrier from the ground, which Buizel hit.

"Finish it off with Razor Leaf!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy fired off a barrage of leaves at Buizel just as it was getting up. Buizel was knocked out.

"Nice job Twiggy!" shouted Terrell. Suddenly, blue light surrounded Twiggy. He appeared to be growing in size, before emerging from the cloud of blue light as a Grotle.

"Gro-tle!" uttered Twiggy. Terrell and Natasha looked at Twiggy in admiration, seeing how he appeared to be much stronger.

"You evolved!" shouted Terrell. "Nice!"

Terrell hugged Twiggy as several of Terrell's smaller Pokémon jumped onto Grotle's back. Terrell pulled out his Pokétch, activating the camera app.

"Everyone huddle here for a picture," uttered Terrell. Natasha, Charchar, and Rotom made their way into the camera's view, with Natasha and Terrell holding hands in the picture.

* * *

And there we go! This chapter's pretty big, with a Team Rocket segment, Natasha and Terrell getting together, and Twiggy evolving. Regarding the Team Rocket segment, they're there as a side story. I'll be having occasional Team Rocket segments throughout this story to hype up a future story arc in the second story in the trilogy. Anyways, see you next time.


	13. Chapter 12: The Top Coordinator

First chapter of the week, here we come! In other news, I've been struggling to get a Nintendo Switch, and will have to wait through its midnight launch to secure one.

* * *

Terrell woke up within his bed inside the Pokémon Center. His hair was ruffled, and his Pokémon were still sleeping, save for Twiggy, who was unfortunately too large to fit inside. He grabbed his Pokétch, and took a look through the pictures saved to it, but spent quite a bit of time looking at the picture taken the day before in Amity Square. In it, he saw how Natasha had a massive grin on her face as they held hands in the photo, which Terrell smiled at. He knew he had made the right choice the day before by confessing that he loved her. The journey across Sinnoh would merely allow them to see everything the region has to offer and to experience what it truly means to be a Pokémon Trainer. Terrell got his usual clothes on: a simple shirt with a Poké Ball on it, a pair of cargo shorts, his cap, and his backpack. At this point, Munchy, Chikara, and Electro had all woken up, ready to go through the day.

"I'm ready for today," thought Terrell as he stepped outside. As he walked down to the lounge area of the Pokémon Center, he waited for his girlfriend to come downstairs.

* * *

"It's time to get out of bed," uttered Rotom. Natasha was tired, but still got out of bed either way. She had a great sleep thanks to the burden of thinking about her love for Terrell being out of the way, and wanting to see the famous Dawn in a Pokémon Contest. Charchar was already up and about, running all over the room. Natasha smiled before getting on her clothes, but before she could walk outside, Rotom stopped her.

"Got a game plan for today with a certain someone?" asked Rotom with a smirk on his face. Natasha merely brushed.

"I've got what I mainly wanted," replied Natasha. "I'll just wait a bit longer before I make my next move."

"Can't wait to see it," replied Rotom as he jumped into Natasha's Pokétch. Natasha began walking downstairs alongside Charchar, where Terrell was waiting for her. She smiled and hugged Terrell tightly, before letting go.

"Let's get going to the contest hall," uttered Terrell. "After we're done, I want to get some training done for tomorrow's gym battle."

"Good idea," replied Natasha. The couple exited the Pokémon Center, holding hands as they walked down the busy streets of Hearthome. On the way, they noticed that a limousine was parked outside of the contest hall, with a red carpet laid out.

"I think that's Dawn's limo," uttered Terrell. "She is the Top Coordinator of Sinnoh after all."

"When did you become a contest expert?" asked Natasha, curiously.

"I watched a few as a kid when battles weren't on," replied Terrell. "It's an interesting career, but it's not really my thing."

The limousine doors opened, and Dawn stepped out. Her signature Pokémon, a Piplup, was on her shoulder as they walked into the contest hall. Reporters were lining the red carpet to the entrance, bombarding her with questions.

"Miss Dawn, what's your stance on using tougher Pokémon for contests?"

"Why did you become a Coordinator?"

"Are you seeing anyone?"

"I'll answer questions once the contest is over," uttered Dawn. "Also, I am seeing someone."

"Aww..." muttered one of the reporters as he left. Terrell and Natasha entered the reception area of the contest hall, where long lineups awaited.

"Time for the longest part of the day," muttered Terrell as he entered a long lineup alongside Natasha.

* * *

"Boss, we've secured the Plates," uttered James as he spoke to a shadowed figure in a hologram, who had a Persian on his lap. "We await further orders."

"Return to headquarters immediately," uttered the shadowed figure. "Dr. Zager needs the Plates for use with Specimen 150."

* * *

"I'll take whoever's next," uttered the clerk. Terrell and Natasha proceeded to head to the counter.

"Two tickets for the Hearthome Spectacular, please," replied Terrell.

"Here you are," replied the clerk. Terrell slid the money across the counter, with the clerk taking it.

"Have fun you two," uttered the clerk. Terrell and Natasha walked up to the viewing area of the contest hall, and sat down in their designated seats.

"This is exciting," uttered Terrell. "Never seen a contest in person before."

"Neither have I," replied Natasha. Suddenly, a spotlight appeared on the stage, with an announcer emerging.

"Everyone having a good day?" asked the announcer. "Jokes aside, it's time for the Hearthome Spectacular. This is simply a performance done by the current Top Coordinator in Sinnoh, to encourage new Coordinators to enter the fray and rise to the top. Now, without further ado, let us begin."

"Piplup, Bubble Beam!" shouted Dawn as she emerged. Her Piplup began running across the stage, producing bubbles from its mouth. However, these bubbles remained in the air, instead of popping. Piplup then jumped into the air, popping the bubbles with a fierce Drill Peck. The crowd cheered in excitement.

"Now, use Hydro Pump and Ice Beam!" shouted Dawn again. Piplup shot out a massive blast of water at the crowd, but before it could fall on them and ruin their clothes, it was frozen over by an Ice Beam. Piplup walked on top of the ice sculpture, and began drilling through it with Drill Peck, eventually creating a Piplup statue from the ice.

"Now come on out Typhlosion!" shouted Dawn. A Typhlosion emerged from the side of the stage, and roared. The crowd cheered once again, with Terrell and Natasha in awe.

"Use Flame Wheel!" shouted Dawn. Typhlosion surrounded the Piplup statue with a ring of fire, which slowly melted it. Piplup would shoot Bubble Beams as the ice statue melted, which formed the word "Pokémon".

"Now for the finisher!" shouted Dawn. "Typhlosion, use Inferno around Piplup!"

Typhlosion created a ring of fire around Piplup, which slowly rose. Piplup would proceed to use Hydro Pump on the ring of fire, sending sparks of flame flying around the contest hall that would explode in midair, as if they were fireworks.

"Thank you everyone!" shouted Dawn. "I'll be available for autographs and photos in the reception area. Have a great day!"

Terrell and Natasha got out of their seats, walking into the reception area.

"That was great," uttered Natasha. "Thanks for taking me here."

"No problem," replied Terrell. "I enjoyed it a lot. Now, let's see if we can grab a photo with Dawn."

Terrell and Natasha stood in line, waiting for their chance to get a photo with the Top Coordinator.

* * *

"Well, well, well," uttered a man with a black suit as he stared at a prisonlike chamber. "Looks like I finally have you under my control again."

"You pompous fool. The last time you tried to capture me, you were defeated by children."

"If you're referring to the boy, he's no longer a concern," replied the man. "I want your power again. To conquer the world, and bring it under Team Rocket's banner."

"Twice the pride, double the fall. You'll pay for the deaths of my brothers, and I know it."

* * *

"It's time," uttered Terrell. Him and Natasha walked towards Dawn, and shook hands with her.

"I watched some of your earlier contests as a kid," uttered Terrell. "You're a good Coordinator."

"Thanks," replied Dawn. "Now, let's get that picture."

Terrell brought out his Pokétch, and aimed the camera at the three of them, before clicking it shut.

"Thanks for the picture!" shouted Terrell and Natasha as they walked out. Dawn smiled, and continued to meet with her devoted fans.

* * *

And there we go! Chapter done! I'm no expert when it comes to contests in the anime, so this is new ground for me. I do think I covered Dawn nicely, with her Quilava evolving. Also, the Team Rocket segments were added to give breaks in between the contest stuff.


	14. Chapter 13: A Ghostly Gym Battle

Wednesday's chapter, here we come! Before we start, I'd like to give one of this story's readers a shout-out, while addressing some feedback.

I didn't include Gardenia's Cherubi because I thought it would be more interesting to have Terrell deal with someone else's Turtwig.

I cut the training from the last chapter because it was a long chapter already and I didn't want to make it longer than it was.

I have plans for Serena to appear, but not in this story. She'll be in the third part of the trilogy, and perhaps the prequel story I'll write on how Ash became the Alolan Champion. If you're an Amourshipper like I am, you'll be pleased to know that I have something planned regarding those two.

The Gym Battle in this chapter will be a 3v3. I just had the first two as 2v2 since I didn't want Terrell using his full party at once.

Now, with that out of the way, let's begin! I will be including elements from the movies, but since their canonicity is questionable, I won't have too much.

* * *

"Twiggy, use Bite on Munchy!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy, now an evolved Grotle, charged at Munchy, bringing down his jaw on Munchy. Munchy howled in pain, but managed to hold on.

"Munchy, respond with Odor Sleuth and a Body Slam right after!" replied Terrell. Munchy began sniffing the air, and looked at Twiggy. He then proceeded to jump into the air, and slam into Twiggy, damaging him. As Terrell was conducting the training session, Rotom, Charchar, and Natasha were watching it, with Natasha looking at Terrell fondly.

"It's good that you know Odor Sleuth now," uttered Terrell. "Otherwise, we'd be at a disadvantage in this gym battle."

Chikara, who was out of his Poké Ball, looked at Terrell with a frown on his face.

"Chikara, I'm sorry that you can't battle in this gym battle," uttered Chikara. "You'd be at a disadvantage, and I wouldn't want to see you hurt.."

Chikara took in the information, and nodded happily at Terrell, before continuing to socialize with Electro, who had already done his training.

"Now Twiggy, use Withdraw!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy nodded at Terrell before erecting a barrier around him which would shield him from incoming attacks.

"Munchy, follow up with Body Slam!" shouted Terrell. Munchy jumped into the air, and slammed into Twiggy. While the Withdraw barrier shielded him from some of the damage, Munchy was still able to break through and hit Twiggy for decent damage.

"Nice work you two," uttered Terrell as he fed them some Berries. "Let's get going to the gym now."

Terrell brought Twiggy into his Poké Ball, and the group began making their way to the Hearthome Gym.

* * *

"I wonder what Dr. Zager wants with da Plates," uttered Meowth as the Team Rocket operatives sat in their helicopter, heading back to Kanto. "After all, they're just useless relics."

"Now now Meowth," replied Jessie. "I've heard some legends about these Plates."

"Legends?" asked James.

"They say the creator of Sinnoh, and possibly the world, imbued them with his energies," uttered Jessie. "There's no doubt that the boss wants their power to use with Specimen 150."

"Yeah, what is this "Specimen 150"?" muttered Meowth. "Some kind of weapon? A Pokémon? What?"

* * *

Terrell entered the Hearthome Gym alongside Natasha. It was dark inside, with candles lighting the hallway to the battlefield.

"I hope you win," uttered Natasha.

"Thanks," replied Terrell with a smile on his face. He knew that this battle was going to be tough, and he was counting on Natasha's support. Eventually, he entered the battlefield, where Fantina, the Gym Leader, awaited. She was a tall woman wearing a large purple dress and strange headwear.

"I'd like to challenge your gym," uttered Terrell.

"Great, non? A challenger!" exclaimed Fantina. "Head to your side of the battlefield, and we will have our fantastique battle!"

"Weird lady," thought Terrell as he walked over to his side of the battlefield.

"The battle between Fantina, the gym leader, and Terrell, the challenger, will now begin!" shouted the referee. "Each Trainer will get access to three Pokémon. Furthermore, only the challenger can make substitutions!"

"Three versus three," thought Terrell. "I've made my choices."

"Duskull, head on out!" shouted Fantina as she threw out her Poké Ball. A Duskull emerged, and let out a cackle. Terrell shuddered for a moment.

"Twiggy, I choose you!" shouted Terrell as he threw out Twiggy's Poké Ball. Twiggy emerged, and nodded at Terrell.

"Use Shadow Sneak!" shouted Fantina as Duskull disappeared. Twiggy struggled to find Duskull, and it suddenly reappeared, striking Twiggy. He reeled in the damage, but held on.

"Use Bite!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy dashed at Duskull, and chomped down on the Ghost-type. As Bite was a Dark-type move, it dealt considerable damage to Duskull, leaving it wounded.

"C'est clever," uttered Fantina. "Now, use Will-o-Wisp!"

Duskull emitted a bluish flame, which spun around Twiggy, burning him.

"Gah!" shouted Terrell as he noticed Twiggy wincing in pain. "Hold on Twiggy."

"Gro...tle..." muttered Twiggy.

"Use Bite again!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy charged at Duskull, and bit into it viciously. Duskull fell to the ground, fainted.

"Duskull is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins!"

"All right!" shouted Terrell. Natasha was in awe, with Rotom and Charchar cheering.

"Now then," uttered Fantina as she returned Duskull to its Poké Ball. "Drifloon, come on out!"

Drifloon flew out of its Poké Ball happily, flying around the battlefield.

"Twiggy, return," uttered Terrell. "Electro, you're up."

Electro jumped into battle from his Poké Ball, and pounded his fists in the air.

"Electro, use Thunder Punch!" shouted Terrell. Electro charged at Drifloon, slamming into it with a monstrous punch covered in electricity. Drifloon went flying, but quickly rebounded.

"Drifloon, use Shadow Ball!" shouted Fantina. Drifloon produced a purple orb, and fired it at Electro. He fell back, but was able to hold on.

"Use Thunder Wave!" shouted Terrell. Electro fired off a surge of electric energy at Drifloon, paralyzing it.

"Use Ominous Wind!" shouted Fantina. Drifloon let out a surge of dark energy that enveloped the battlefield, hitting Electro. Yet, the paralysis was still taking its toll on Drifloon.

"Thunder Punch!" shouted Terrell. Electro jumped at Drifloon, but it dodged the punch swiftly. Electro slammed into the ground, but wasn't that injured.

"Don't give up," uttered Terrell. "I believe in you Electro."

Suddenly, blue light enveloped Electro. He began to grow in size, and was changing his appearance.

"I think your Elekid's evolving," uttered Fantina. Suddenly, the blue light vanished. Electro had evolved!

"Electabuzz!" exclaimed Electro. He had evolved into an Electabuzz!

"Nice!" shouted Terrell. "Now, use Thunder Punch again!"

Electro nodded at Terrell before leaping into the air, at Drifloon. Evolving had given him new strength, and Electro slammed into Drifloon with his fist, knocking it to the ground.

"Drifloon is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins!"

"Drifloon, return," uttered Fantina. "Go, Mismagius!"

Mismagius emerged from its Poké Ball, and began juggling ghostly energies. Terrell smiled, and readied for battle.

"Electro, use Thunder Punch!" shouted Terrell. Electro jumped at Mismagius, and let out a thundering punch. Mismagius went flying back, but held on.

"Will-o-Wisp!" shouted Fantina. Mismagius let out a bluish flame that burned Electro.

"Electro, fight through the pain and use Thunder Wave!" shouted Terrell. Electro struggled to hold on, and charged at Mismagius.

"Hex," uttered Fantina. Mismagius fired off a shockwave of ghostly energy at Electro, dealing brutal damage and knocking it out.

"No!" exclaimed Terrell.

"Electro is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Fantina wins!"

"Electro, return," uttered Terrell. "Munchy, head on out!"

Munchy jumped out of Terrell's backpack, and let out a roar. He looked at Terrell, and nodded.

"A Normal type?" muttered Fantina. "C'est interéssant."

"Odor Sleuth," uttered Terrell. Munchy sniffed the air around him, and pointed his gaze right at Mismagius. Fantina gulped for a second.

"Good thing I taught Munchy this move!" exclaimed Terrell. "Now, use Body Slam!"

Munchy jumped into the air, and slammed into Mismagius. Normally, he would've passed right through and hit the ground. However, with Odor Sleuth leaving Mismagius vulnerable, Body Slam was able to hit it, sending it flying.

"Now then, use Mystical Fire!" shouted Fantina. Mismagius began to produce a hot flame in front of it, and sent it flying at Munchy.

"Dodge and use Body Slam again!" shouted Terrell. Munchy leapt into the air, and struck at Mismagius. It reeled in pain, and fell to the ground, defeated.

"Mismagius is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins the battle and his third Sinnoh League gym badge!"

"All right!" exclaimed Terrell. Natasha ran down from the stands, and hugged Terrell.

"You did it!" exclaimed Natasha as she embraced her boyfriend. Terrell returned the hug, and then looked towards Fantina.

"Thanks for the battle," uttered Terrell. "You've taught me that status conditions are a big help."

"They are indeed," replied Fantina. "Now, take this Relic Badge as proof of your victory here."

Terrell took the badge from Fantina, and placed it in his badge case.

"Now let's get going," uttered Terrell. "We've got a journey to go on."

* * *

NAME: Specimen 150

BACKGROUND: Produced by Dr. Fuji on February 6th, 1996. Used in gym battles in Viridian City, before escaping in 1999. Confronted in Kanto in 1999 and Johto in 2001 before escaping. Johto incident wouldn't have been remembered if it wasn't for three of our operatives. Found two months ago in Kalos. Its allies were easy to deal with, and now remain in hiding throughout the region.

MOVES KNOWN: Psychic, Barrier, Counter, and Shadow Ball. Has also shown the ability to command others and to hide extremely effectively.

STATUS: Contained in headquarters. Dr. Zager is working on something to control it, using relics from Sinnoh and energy from Alola collected by the same operatives mentioned earlier.

* * *

"So, where to next?" asked Natasha.

"Veilstone City," replied Terrell. "We'll also be passing through Solaceon Town on the way, so it'll be a nice trip through eastern Sinnoh."

"Can't wait," replied Natasha.

* * *

And thus, the chapter's over! I made sure to include Electro's evolution to spice things up, alongside the Team Rocket segments. I wonder what Specimen 150 is...


	15. Chapter 14: Battle on Route 209

Sorry for the lack of a chapter on Friday. It's because I was playing nothing but Breath of the Wild on my Switch. It's an amazing game, and one of my new favorites. Also, regarding why Drifloon wasn't evolved, it's because I was going by Platinum's gym order, not Diamond and Pearl's, which had a Drifblim on Fantina's team. I'd assume there would be a Drifloon instead of a Drifblim if it was the third gym battle. Also, I don't know what location from the movies was being referred to. And regarding Specimen 150, you may or may not be correct about its identity.

* * *

A Piplup was busy searching a bush for Berries, eager to find some to eat. As he munched down on two Oran Berries, he noticed two trainers walking down the route. Curious, he began to stealthily follow them.

"Route 209 is nice," uttered Terrell. "The breeze is great, and there's a lot of variety in Pokémon around here."

"I agree," replied Natasha as she held Terrell's hand. "So, any strategies in mind for your Veilstone gym battle?"

"I definitely want to use Chikara this time," replied Terrell. "He'll be able to learn from the other Fighting-types, so it's a win-win even if we lose the first time."

"Good idea," replied Natasha.

"Hey!" shouted a voice. Terrell immediately identified it as Chris, the trainer he fought near Mt. Coronet.

"Good to see you again!" shouted Terrell. "Heading to Veilstone?"

"Yep," replied Chris. "But first, let's battle. I've expanded my team quite a bit."

"Alright then," replied Terrell. "Three versus three good?"

"Fine by me," replied Chris. "Go, Staravia!"

A Staravia jumped out of its Poké Ball, and flapped its wings in the air.

"Electro, head on out!" shouted Terrell. Electro jumped out of his Poké Ball, and let out electricity from his fists.

"Use Quick Attack!" shouted Chris. Staravia tucked in its wings, and charged at Electro, who endured the hit.

"Thunder Punch!" shouted Terrell. Electro pulled his fist back, and charged at Staravia before smashing into it with a thundering punch. Staravia reeled in pain, but got back up.

"Return!" shouted Chris. Staravia jumped into the sky, and flew towards Electro, hitting him with a powerful tackle. Electro held on, but was injured.

"Thunder Wave," shouted Terrell. Electro produced an electric pulse from his hands, and tossed it at Staravia. Staravia fell to the ground, its legs injured by the paralysis.

"Quick Attack," uttered Chris. Staravia charged at Electro, but wasn't moving as fast as usual.

"Dodge and use Thunder Punch!" shouted Terrell. Electro jumped out of the way, and charged at Staravia, knocking it out.

"You battled well Staravia," uttered Chris as he returned Staravia to his Poké Ball.

* * *

The Piplup watched as an Electabuzz knocked out a Staravia. He could tell that its trainer was strong-willed, and knew much about battling. He eagerly continued to watch the battle, ready to see what was next.

* * *

"Next up, here's Monferno!" shouted Chris. A Monferno jumped from its Poké Ball, and threw a blast of fire into the air while pounding its chest.

"Doesn't Chimchar evolve into Monferno?" asked Natasha.

"Yep," replied Chris. Terrell looked at his Poké Balls, and then nodded at Munchy.

"Electro, return," uttered Terrell. "Munchy, you're up."

Munchy jumped off Terrell's shoulder, and snarled at Monferno.

"Munchy, use Body Slam," uttered Terrell. Munchy leapt into the air, and slammed into Monferno, causing some serious damage. Monferno, however, got back up.

"Flamethrower!" shouted Chris. Monferno created a pulse of fire from its hands, and threw it at Munchy, injuring him. The nearby grass lit on fire, creating a hazard for fighting.

"Now use Belly Drum!" shouted Terrell. Munchy pounded on his belly, preparing to hit even harder.

"Monferno, throw out a nice Mach Punch!" shouted Chris. Monferno dashed at Munchy with its fist out, and prepared to land a devastating punch.

"Dodge and use Body Slam!" shouted Terrell. Munchy leapt into the air, and slammed right into Monferno, knocking him out.

"Wow," uttered Chris as he returned Monferno to his Poké Ball. "You're a strong trainer, and I respect that."

"Thanks," replied Terrell.

* * *

The Piplup cheered as he saw a Monferno knocked out. He was beginning to form a respect for the trainer in command of both the Munchlax and Electabuzz he saw.

* * *

"Now then," uttered Chris. "Gible, I choose you!"

Gible jumped onto the ground, and roared at Munchy.

"Let's have a battle for old times sake," uttered Terrell. "Chikara, time to battle!"

As Munchy returned to Terrell's shoulder, Chikara jumped from his Poké Ball, and looked at Gible. The two of them exchanged glances, and nodded, knowing that it was time to fight again.

"Dragon Claw!" shouted Chris. Gible jumped at Chikara, slashing at him with powerful claws. The Fighting-type Pokémon reeled in pain, but managed to press on.

"Vacuum Wave, let's go!" shouted Terrell. Chikara created a pulse of energy, and tossed it at Gible, dishing out some serious damage. Gible held on, however.

"Sandstorm!" shouted Chris. A sandstorm began to form in the area the two Pokémon stood in, blocking their vision, but also dealing damage to Chikara.

"Hold on, and use Counter!" shouted Terrell. Chikara held on, preparing for an incoming attack.

"Gible, use Dragon Claw!" shouted Chris. Gible lunged at Chikara from the sandstorm, but was too late to realize that Chikara was ready to counter. He pulled in Gible, and tossed him onto the nearby ground.

"Finish it off with Vacuum Wave!" shouted Terrell. Chikara threw out one last blast of energy that knocked out Gible, scoring a victory for Terrell.

"Good battle," uttered Chris as he returned Gible to his Poké Ball. "I'll see you again."

"You too," replied Terrell. As Chris walked away, a nearby bush rustled. A Piplup jumped out, and was clapping its fins.

"Huh?" uttered Terrell. "What could this Piplup want?"

"I'll handle this," uttered Natasha's Rotom as he jumped out of her Pokétch. He began to talk with the Piplup, before heading towards Terrell and Natasha.

"He says he enjoyed the battle a lot, and wants to battle you and join your team," uttered Rotom.

"All right then," replied Terrell. "Munchy, you'll be fighting here."

Munchy jumped off of Terrell's shoulder, and readied for battle. The Piplup shot out a beam of bubbles at Munchy, slowing him down.

"Munchy, use Body Slam!" shouted Terrell. Munchy leapt into the air, and slammed into Piplup, who managed to squeeze out of the grip. He dashed at Munchy, unleashing a fearsome Peck. Munchy took some damage, but held on.

"Now use Body Slam again!' shouted Terrell. Munchy slammed into Piplup again, causing quite a bit of damage.

"Now's our chance!" shouted Terrell as he threw out a Poké Ball. The Poké Ball hit Piplup, and pulled him in. It shook several times, before clicking shut. Piplup was caught!

"All right!' shouted Terrell. "I'll name him Pippy."

"Nice name," uttered Natasha. "I think he'll be a good addition to your team."

* * *

And there we go! A new chapter finished. I planned for Terrell to have two starters since the beginning, and I still know what his sixth Pokémon will be. Anyways, stay tuned for more, and don't forget to leave a review!


	16. Chapter 15: A Stop in Solaceon

Here comes Wednesday's chapter. Regarding the use of movie locations, I'm sticking primarily to the locations seen in the games, as the movie locations would have little to offer in terms of story. I am open to using concepts from the movies, however, and I may canonize some of them as I see fit. As for traveling to other regions, that's what the other stories in the trilogy will cover, with the second segment being Kanto and the third being Alola, with the origin story of how Ash became the Alolan Champion released between the second and third segments. Anyways, this chapter is a bit of a romance chapter, but has important Team Rocket stuff.

* * *

Terrell and Natasha arrived in Solaceon Town after a long trek through Route 209. It was a small town, with hills surrounding it and mysterious ruins located in the eastern portion of town. Terrell entered the Pokémon Center, and sat down alongside Natasha.

"I think we'd better contact Gary Oak again," uttered Terrell. "He'll want to know how we're doing."

"Good idea," replied Natasha. Terrell smiled before taking out his Pokétch, and beginning a video call with Gary. Eventually, the brown-haired researcher picked up.

"Hey!" shouted Gary. "Good to hear from you two again. So, what have you been up to?"

"Heading to Veilstone for my fourth Gym Badge," replied Terrell. "Got an Electabuzz, Riolu, and Piplup on my team now."

"Nice!" replied Gary. "Natasha, how about you?"

"I've caught a..." replied Natasha, but she was interrupted by Rotom coming out of her Pokétch.

"A Rotom!" shouted Rotom in excitement. "That would be me of course. I've been assisting these two."

"Huh, a Rotom," replied Gary. "My grandfather has one, but it's quite unlike yours, since it can't talk."

"Well, he can," replied Natasha as she got back into the picture. "But we have even more exciting news."

Natasha grabbed Terrell's hand from under the table, and thrust it into the air. Terrell was smiling as she performed this maneuver, knowing what she was about to say.

"We're a couple now!" replied Natasha. Gary smiled as he saw how happy the two Trainers were.

"Great to hear!" replied Gary. "I'm sure that you two will have a great time travelling. I've got some business to attend to here at the lab. Take care!"

The video call ended, leaving Terrell and Natasha to face each other and continue talking.

"I was thinking," uttered Terrell. "Since we're a couple and all, I thought it would be nice if we went for a bit of a stroll through Solaceon Town."

"So you're asking me out on a date?" replied Natasha. "Well, if that's the case, I accept."

"All right then," replied Terrell. The two Trainers proceeded to walk out of the Pokémon Center, holding hands.

* * *

"Giovanni, our operatives are back from Sinnoh," uttered a Team Rocket grunt. Giovanni turned to face him in his chair, with a Persian on his lap.

"Bring them in," replied Giovanni. "I need to speak with them regarding Specimen 150."

"As you wish," replied the grunt. Jessie, James, and Meowth proceeded to walk into the office, and sat in their chairs opposite Giovanni. Meowth snarled at Persian, knowing that he held a position he always wanted.

"We have the Plates in this briefcase," uttered James as he placed a briefcase on the desk. Giovanni took it under the desk, and smiled at the three.

"I'm impressed," uttered Giovanni. "You managed to excavate these ancient relics without anybody noticing."

"Well, when you don't have a twerp to chase anymore, you get focused on the task at hand," replied Jessie. Giovanni smirked.

"I think it's time that I told you what Specimen 150 is," uttered Giovanni as he turned on a screen. "Remember this guy?"

The screen showed a familiar Pokémon imprisoned, chained up by a strange machine of sorts: Mewtwo. Mewtwo was reeling in pain, unleashing psychic blasts all over the cell, which were absorbed by some sort of padding. Jessie, James, and Meowth were shocked to see this.

"This knowledge doesn't leave the room," uttered Giovanni.

"Boss, what do you plan to do with Mewt-I mean, Specimen 150?" asked Meowth. He was clearly curious about what Giovanni had planned.

"You'll find out," replied Giovanni.

* * *

Terrell and Natasha walked down the streets of Solaceon Town, hand in hand. The townspeople wandered all across the town with their Pokémon following them, and Terrell and Natasha were doing the same, with Rotom, Charchar, and Munchy accompanying them.

"This is nice," uttered Natasha. "It was such a great idea to take a break from travelling and just be a couple for the day."

"I agree," replied Terrell. "I really wanted to spend some time with you today."

Natasha blushed, and rested her head on Terrell's shoulder. Eventually, the two of them agreed to head back to the Pokémon Center and retire for the night. Terrell went up to the desk, and after waiting in line, was face-to-face with the resident Nurse Joy.

"Two rooms for the night please," uttered Terrell. The Nurse Joy checked a computer, before staring at Terrell with an expression of disappointment.

"I'm sorry, we only have one room available for the night," uttered Nurse Joy. "Is that fine?"

"It's fine," replied Terrell as he took the key and walked over to Natasha.

"They only had one room available," Terrell stated. "So how will the sleeping arrangement work out?"

"We should flip a coin as to who sleeps on the floor," uttered Natasha.

"I was thinking something else," replied Terrell. "Since we're a couple and all..."

Rotom stared at Terrell with his eyebrows going up and down as if he was trying to make a point. Natasha blushed and got up from the chair.

"That works," replied Natasha. "Let's try it."

Terrell and Natasha walked up to the room, and got ready to sleep. As Terrell finished changing, he saw Natasha sitting on the bed, as if she was about to ask something of him. Strangely, both Charchar and Rotom were missing as well, as if they had been put back in their Poké Balls.

"Can Munchy go in his Poké Ball for a moment?" asked Natasha. "I need to ask you a private question."

"Sure," replied Terrell as he put Munchy in his Poké Ball. "What do you want?"

"This," replied Natasha as she kissed Terrell. The two of them locked lips for several seconds, embracing each other as it was happening. Their minds were racing to comprehend what was going on, but they knew it was good.

* * *

Their relationship is developing well. Anyways, leave a review if you want more.


	17. Chapter 16: Road to Veilstone

First chapter of the week. Regarding Team Rocket following Terrell and Natasha, they have literally no reason to right now. Anyways, if you guys want to do a Q&A session or something regarding my fanfiction, or my views regarding gaming, I'm all for it. Also, Friday chapters might be stopping, but I'll try to push for chapters on Fridays.

* * *

Terrell and Natasha were sleeping away, arms wrapped around each other. Suddenly, Rotom jumped out of his Poké Ball, and began shooting electric sparks into the air.

"Wake-up time!" shouted Rotom. "New day ahead of us, and the last leg of the journey to Veilstone!"

"Morning Nashy," uttered Terrell as he woke up. Natasha blushed upon hearing his new nickname for her, but still remained groggy and tired.

"I'm gonna go get ready in the bathroom," replied Natasha. "Then we can continue the journey."

Natasha kissed Terrell on the cheek before entering the bathroom. As the door closed, Terrell released Munchy from his Poké Ball. Munchy immediately began coughing, as he hated being in his Poké Ball. He began running around the room while Rotom went up to Terrell.

"So, what happened last night?" Rotom asked as his eyes went up and down, as if he was suggesting something.

"We made out a bit and went to sleep together," replied Terrell. "It was nice."

"Sounds great," replied Rotom. "Seems like you really like Natasha."

"I do," replied Terrell. "Her support is crucial for my gym battles, and I enjoy being around her."

* * *

Giovanni stood on a platform within the Team Rocket headquarters, with hundreds of grunts standing on the floor below, anxiously awaiting their leader's speech.

"Members of Team Rocket, I have gathered you all here today to celebrate our recent victories," uttered Giovanni. He then proceeded to turn on a TV screen showing five Team Rocket grunts in combat equipment surrounding Mewtwo, a Meowth, a Pikachu, a Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, and numerous other Pokémon outside a cavern.

"We finally recaptured Mewtwo," uttered Giovanni. He then turned to show a shot of Jessie, James, and Meowth extracting energy from a wormhole of sorts on a tropical island.

"We've collected Z-Power from the Ultra Wormholes in Alola," uttered Giovanni. The next shot showed two Team Rocket grunts, one male and one female, collecting burning stones and crystallized rocks inside a cavern.

"Shards of Infinity Energy have been collected from Hoenn," uttered Giovanni once again. He then turned off the TV, and faced the crowd.

"Now, Phase 2 of Operation: Retaliation will take effect!" exclaimed Giovanni. "You will be dispatched to Unova, Johto, and Kalos to extract artifacts. Your commanders will provide the specifics. Long live Team Rocket!"

"Long live Team Rocket!" shouted the grunts as they dispersed. Jessie, James, and Meowth then walked up to Giovanni.

"You said you wanted to give us our next set of orders in person," uttered James. Giovanni then smirked.

"You three will be overseeing our operations in Kalos," uttered Giovanni. "Consider yourselves promoted."

* * *

"Route 210 is nice," uttered Terrell. Rain was pouring down on the route, leaving Terrell and Natasha wet. "If only it didn't rain so hard."

"I agree," replied Natasha as she held Terrell's hand.. "Weather's nice here."

Terrell and Natasha continued walking down the route, until a Ralts jumped out of a bush. It lifted several rocks into the air with its psychic powers, and flung them at Terrell and Natasha.

"Gah!" shouted Terrell. He proceeded to ready a Poké Ball, but Natasha stopped him.

"It's about time I caught another Pokémon," replied Natasha. "Rotom, you're up."

Rotom jumped out of Natasha's Pokétch, and smirked at the Ralts.

"Thunderbolt!" shouted Natasha. Rotom nodded before readying a pulse of electric energy and tossing it at Ralts, sending it flying. However, it held on, before unleashing a psychic blast at Rotom, sending him flying.

"I'll use Shadow Ball!" shouted Rotom before he fired off one. The orb of purplish energy pulsed in the air several times before impacting, knocking down the Ralts. It proceeded to unleash a gleam of energy at Rotom, knocking him back briefly.

"Let's finish the job with a nice Confuse Ray!" shouted Rotom. A color-changing orb spun around Ralts, confusing it. Natasha smiled before throwing out a Poké Ball, which hit the Ralts. It shook several times before clicking shut. Ralts was caught!

"All right!" shouted Natasha. She proceeded to release Ralts from its Poké Ball, and fed it an Oran Berry. Ralts ate it up, and smiled at Natasha.

"Ralts says she trusts you," uttered Rotom.

"So it's a female," thought Terrell. "Looks like Gallade isn't an option for Natasha then."

"Now let's get going," uttered Natasha as she returned Ralts to her Poké Ball. "We have the last leg of the journey to Veilstone to go through."

* * *

Giovanni walked through the halls of the Team Rocket laboratories. Various artifacts were being kept and drained of their energy, including the Red Chain, which was obtained from rogue Team Galactic grunts. However, Giovanni entered a door marked "Specimen 150". Inside, Dr. Zager was looking at Mewtwo's cell, watching the Psychic-type Pokémon struggle to break free.

"How's the experimenting with the Plates going?" asked Giovanni.

"Their energies are hard to work with," replied Dr. Zager. "But I do know something we can do with them."

"What's that?" asked Giovanni, clearly interested.

"My analysis has shown me that they are drenched in dimensional energies," uttered Dr. Zager. "If we combine that with the Red Chain we have locked up, we may be able to summon two Pokémon stronger than Mewtwo."

"You can't possibly mean-" uttered Giovanni, before he was interrupted by Dr. Zager, who merely nodded.

"I have contacts in Sinnoh who will want us to use the Red Chain for sure," replied Dr. Zager. "I suggest you invite them over here."

"I will," replied Giovanni. "By the way, per your request, we've sent Jessie, James, and Meowth to command our efforts to secure the Prison Bottle in Kalos."

"I hope they don't fail us like they have before," replied Dr. Zager. "Back when they chased that kid, they never delivered us anything useful."

* * *

This chapter was mainly Team Rocket stuff, but I did put in Natasha's second capture. Anyways, if you guys want to do a Q&A or something, or just want more, leave a review.


	18. Chapter 17: The Aura Awakens

Next chapter of the week. Regarding the lack of a Contest Battle, the contest back in Chapter 12 wasn't a traditional one, and there wouldn't be anybody for Dawn to fight, unless someone from the audience came forth. Anyways, here we go.

* * *

"Pippy, use Scald!" shouted Terrell. Pippy jumped into the air, and let loose a vicious blast of water at Chikara, leaving him drenched and wet. However, Chikara held on.

"Now, use Vacuum Wave!" shouted Terrell. Chikara fired off a blast of energy at Pippy, knocking him back. However, he regained his position and was able to reenter the fight.

"Drill Peck!" shouted Terrell. Pippy charged at Chikara, preparing to peck him.

"Now, use Counter!" shouted Terrell. Immediately, Chikara grabbed Pippy by the beak, and threw him across the battlefield, into the ground. He had won the training session.

"Great job guys," uttered Terrell as he returned them to their Poké Balls. "We've got a fourth gym battle to go for, and we better win this time!"

Terrell motioned for Natasha, Charchar, and Rotom to follow him to the Veilstone City gym.

* * *

A man in a brown trenchcoat was standing within a busy area, watching several computer monitors. On them, various documents were up, along with security footage showing black-clothed men and women conducting criminal activity.

"Looker, we have some new findings regarding the Team Rocket case," uttered a man in a suit as he handed a file to the man now identified as Looker. "You're gonna want to see this."

"Keep watching those spy cameras," replied Looker. "We need to figure out what's going on."

Looker browsed the file, eventually coming across a picture depicting a purplish, cat-like Pokémon surrounded by heavily armed Team Rocket grunts equipped with gun-like objects.

"Could it be?" thought Looker. "Did they recapture it?"

* * *

"The gym battle between Maylene, the Gym Leader, and Terrell, the challenger, will now begin!" uttered a Pokémon League referee. "Each trainer will get access to three Pokémon. Furthermore, only the challenger can make substitutions!"

"Meditite, you're up!" shouted Maylene. She was a young pink-haired girl dressed in athletic clothing, with bandages on her body as if she had been training constantly. As Meditite left its Poké Ball, it let several rocks float above it.

"Pippy, it's your time to shine," uttered Terrell as he threw out his Poké Ball. Pippy jumped out, and let out a small stream of bubbles.

"Use Drain Punch!" shouted Maylene. Meditite dashed at Pippy, hitting him with a hardened punch. Pippy went flying, but held on.

"Scald!" shouted Terrell. Pippy readied a pulse of water, and fired it at Meditite at long range, leaving it drenched in water. Then, it reeled in pain, as if it had been burnt.

"Nice," thought Terrell. Maylene looked in shock as Meditite struggled to cope with the burn.

"Fight through it, and use Psycho Cut!" shouted Maylene. Meditite leapt into the air, and let loose a karate chop of sorts that hit Pippy hard, leaving him injured.

"Finish this with Drill Peck!" shouted Terrell. Pippy responded, lunging at Meditite with its beak. Meditite went flying, and was knocked out.

"Meditite is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Pippy wins!"

Terrell smiled, knowing that the battle wasn't over yet. Meanwhile, Natasha, Rotom, Charchar, and Ralts watched the battle from the spectator area.

"This is intense," uttered Natasha. "I hope he wins."

"He will," replied Rotom. "He's got a balanced team."

Terrell rubbed Pippy's head, knowing he fought well.

"Let's keep you in the battle for now," uttered Terrell. "Whatever Maylene sends out next, we can deal with."

"Machoke, it's your turn now!" shouted Maylene. Machoke emerged from its Poké Ball, and smashed its fists together.

"Pippy, use Drill Peck again!" shouted Terrell. Pippy lunged at Machoke, drilling into its shoulder with his beak. Machoke was pushed back, but held on.

"Use Brick Break!" shouted Maylene. Machoke slammed Pippy with a massive karate chop, sending him flying. Pippy landed deep in the ground, but managed to stay alive.

"Scald!" shouted Terrell. Pippy let loose another blast of water at Machoke, but Maylene simply watched in anticipation for the burn that would hit Machoke.

"Now's our chance!" shouted Maylene. "Use Brick Break, and make it count!"

Machoke slammed into Pippy with a powerful attack, knocking him out.

"Looks like you forgot about Machoke's ability, Guts," uttered Maylene. Terrell simply dashed towards Pippy, and returned him to his Poké Ball.

"Pippy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Machoke wins!"

"Twiggy, it's your turn," uttered Terrell. "Make it count!"

Twiggy jumped out of his Poké Ball, and stomped his feet several times.

"Use Razor Leaf!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy responded, sending a storm of leaves at Machoke that knocked him back slightly.

"Seismic Toss!" shouted Maylene. Machoke charged at Twiggy, picking him up and throwing him across the battlefield. However, he held on, though he was damaged.

"Leech Seed!" shouted Terrell. Roots grabbed Machoke, and drained its life energy to heal Twiggy.

"Now follow up with a nice Razor Leaf!" shouted Terrell in response. Another barrage of leaves hit Machoke, damaging it, but they also cut the roots.

"Use Brick Break!" shouted Maylene. Machoke leapt into the air, preparing to slam its fist down on Twiggy.

"Dodge and use Tackle!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy slammed right into Machoke, sending him flying and knocking him out.

"Machoke is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Twiggy wins!"

"Machoke, return," uttered Maylene. "Now, here comes my trump card. Lucario, it's your turn!"

A Lucario jumped out of its Poké Ball, letting loose Aura energy from its fists. Terrell nodded at Twiggy, who nodded back in response, ready to battle.

"Leech Seed!" shouted Twiggy, who readied the roots to surround Lucario.

"Bullet Punch," Maylene uttered in response. Lucario dodge the roots, and dashed at Twiggy, hitting him with a series of punches that sent him flying. Twiggy barely held on.

"Razor Leaf!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy let loose a barrage of leaves at Lucario, who was unable to dodge them.

"Aura Sphere!" shouted Maylene. Lucario fired off a blast of bluish Aura energy at Twiggy, who went flying. He was knocked out.

"Twiggy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Lucario wins!"

"Oh no," thought Terrell. "I might lose this."

As Terrell returned Twiggy to his Poké Ball, he grasped his final Poké Ball, which contained Chikara. He threw it out, ready to see how he'd do against his evolved form.

"Chikara, you're up!" shouted Terrell. As Chikara exited the Poké Ball, Maylene looked at him curiously.

"Let's see how you do against my Lucario," uttered Maylene. "Bone Rush!"

Lucario formed a bone from pure Aura energy, and lunged at Chikara.

"Counter!" shouted Terrell in response. Chikara grabbed the bone, and pushed it into Lucario, sending him flying.

"Now, follow up with Vacuum Wave!" shouted Terrell. Chikara let loose a wave of energy that hit Lucario, knocking him back again. Suddenly, blue light surrounded Chikara. He was evolving!

"Huh," uttered Terrell. "We've got evolution on our hands."

Maylene's Lucario suddenly kneeled down, with Maylene looking at it curiously.

"What's wrong?" asked Maylene. Lucario pointed at Chikara, as if it was trying to say something.

"I see," replied Maylene. Suddenly, the blue light disappeared. Chikara had evolved into a Lucario!

"This'll be interesting," uttered Terrell. "Use Aura Sphere!"

Chikara readied a blast of Aura energy, and fired it at Maylene's Lucario, sending it flying. However, it held on.

"Use Bone Rush!" shouted Maylene. Lucario created another bone from Aura energy.

"Counter!" shouted Terrell. Chikara almost instantaneously grabbed the bone, and hit the opposing Lucario with it, sending it flying.

"Aura Sphere!" shouted both Maylene and Terrell at the same time. Both Lucario created spheres of aura energy, firing them at one-another to create a massive explosion. Both Trainers looked on in anticipation, wondering who would emerge alive. Then, the smoke cleared. Chikara was barely holding on, meaning that Terrell had won.

"Lucario is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins the gym battle!"

"Yes!" shouted Terrell as he dashed towards Chikara. He hugged him tightly, knowing that they had won their first gym battle together. Natasha ran down to the battlefield, kissing Terrell on the cheek as she did so.

"You battled great," uttered Natasha. "It was really intense."

"Thanks Nashy," replied Terrell. Maylene came towards Terrell with a Gym Badge, handing it to him.

"This is proof of your victory here in the Veilstone City gym," uttered Maylene. "But don't leave right away. I want to talk to you about something."

"What might that be?" asked Terrell.

"My Lucario is quite attuned with the energy field known as Aura," uttered Maylene. "It...saw visions pertaining to your future."

"Visions?" replied Terrell. "What were these 'visions'?"

"Something about a key battle you will be involved in," uttered Maylene. "Both of you."

Terrell and Natasha looked at each other in curiosity.

"I'm no expert when it comes to this stuff, but I do know a guy who is," replied Maylene. "He lives on an island off the coast of Canalave City called Iron Island. He'll be able to help you there."

"Thanks," replied Terrell. As he and Natasha left the Gym, a bare-chested man with a mask bumped into them.

"'scuse me kids," uttered the man. Terrell looked at him in admiration.

"You're Crasher Wake, aren't you?" asked Terrell. The man looked back at him in response.

"Look kid, I don't do autographs here," uttered Crasher Wake. "I do have my gym over in Pastoria City if you want them though."

"Well, expect me as a challenger there," replied Terrell. Before he could leave, Crasher Wake stopped him.

"Well, I'll need to sing my song first," uttered Crasher Wake. "The ring is my roiling sea."

"The towering waves shaped me."

"Crash! Crash! Crasher Wake!"

"Crash! Crash! Crasher Wake!"

"I'm the tidal wave of power to wash you away!"

"Put out the fire, Crasher Wake!"

"Run from electricity, Crasher Wake!"

"Ah, ah, aaaah."

"The ring is my sea."

As Crasher Wake finished his song, he noticed that Terrell and Natasha had already left.

"Why does nobody want to listen to my song..." muttered Crasher Wake as he entered the gym. Outside, Terrell and Natasha were busy talking.

"So Pastoria City's next," uttered Terrell as he looked at his map. "I also hear Canalave has a gym too, so we can knock out two Pidgey with one Stone Edge and talk to Maylene's guy there before tackling the gym."

"Let's get moving then," replied Natasha. The two of them held hands as they walked out.

* * *

"Looker, there's suspicious activity going on in Unova," uttered a suited man. "Team Rocket agents have been spotted there, near what appears to be an abandoned laboratory once maintained by Team Plasma."

"Send a squad there immediately," replied Looker. "We can see what they're up to."

* * *

I thought we needed a break from Team Rocket, so I brought in the International Police as a sideplot to run alongside Team Rocket's schemes. Expect switching between both groups as the main sideplot in a chapter, though it will all converge in the end. Anyways, leave a review if you want more!


	19. Chapter 18: A Veteran Trainer

Friday's chapter is coming early. Regarding the appearance of Ash's rivals, this chapter will cover two of them, and one has already appeared: Gary.

* * *

"Looker, we're outside the laboratory," uttered a man with black hair, a blue scarf, and a black jacket. "We await your orders."

"Keep watch of the area, and see what they want," replied Looker over a communication device. "Alain, we need to find out what's going on."

"I'll do my best," replied Alain as he turned off the communication device. He had joined the International Police after the Lumiose City incident three years earlier, seeking to stop other criminal organizations around the world. Looker had contacted him after he had obtained his Key Stone and Mega Stone for his Charizard, with Alain agreeing to work with them. As his squad looked at the laboratory, they noticed smoke coming from it.

"I wonder what's going on in there," thought Alain as he continued watching.

* * *

Terrell and Natasha walked down Route 214, hand in hand. Alongside them, Munchy and Charchar followed, eager to get to Pastoria City for the next gym battle.

"Lake Valor's nearby," uttered Terrell. "Should we visit?"

"Sure," replied Natasha. The entrance to the lake was nearby, and the two of them entered. Trees surrounded the lake, and the beach looked nice. However, a light purple-haired youth was busy looking at the lake, Poké Ball in hand.

"Are you looking for a battle?" Terrell asked. The boy turned around, facing Terrell.

"I'm simply taking a break from some training," replied the boy. "If you really want, we can battle, though I'm guessing you're only passing through here to get to Pastoria City."

"I never decline a battle," replied Terrell. "How should we battle?"

"One versus one," replied the boy. "Most of my Pokémon would be too strong for you to defeat in a three versus three, as I've been a Trainer for some time."

"I see," replied Terrell. "Pippy, head on out!"

Pippy jumped out of his Poké Ball, and nodded at Terrell, ready to battle.

"Ninjask, you're up!" shouted the boy. A Ninjask popped out of its Poké Ball, and let out a screech.

"Use Peck!" shouted Terrell. Pippy lunged at the Ninjask, hitting it with a strong peck. Ninjask went flying back, but held on.

"X-Scissor!" shouted the boy. Ninjask swooped down and struck Pippy with a scissorlike strike, knocking him back.

"Scald!" shouted Terrell. Pippy let loose a blast of water that knocked Ninjask onto the ground. The burn took effect shortly after.

"Ninjask, fight through it and use Aerial Ace!" the boy shouted. Ninjask lunged at Pippy, slashing him with its wings. Pippy kneeled down to brace the pain, but suddenly began glowing blue. He was evolving!

"Huh," uttered the boy. "Guess your Piplup's evolving."

Terrell and Natasha watched in anticipation as Pippy underwent evolution, before the light disappeared. He had evolved into a Prinplup!

"All right!" shouted Terrell. "Now, use Scald again on Ninjask!"

Pippy let out another blast of boiling water that knocked Ninjask into the grass nearby, knocking it out.

"You battle well," uttered the boy. "Now, are you doing the Pokémon League challenge?"

"I am, replied Terrell. "Have you done it before?"

"Many times," replied the boy. "Not just in Sinnoh either. I just returned here for a brief trip to visit my family, but I plan to travel to Kalos soon."

"Any tips?" Terrell asked.

"Never give up until it's over," uttered the boy. "Keep fighting until the end. I learned that from a Trainer I battled just over four years ago."

"Good advice," replied Terrell. "Say, I never caught your name."

"Paul," he replied. "Good luck on your journey."

"You too," replied Terrell.

* * *

"What the hell is going on?!" shouted Alain as the wind began to blow viciously. Suddenly, a massive hovercraft of sorts emerged from the laboratory, flying off into the nearby sea alongside several helicopters with the Team Rocket insignia on them.

"Get to the helicopters, and ready our Talonflame squadrons," uttered Alain. "We're going after that hovercraft."

* * *

If you're wondering, yes, it's the Plasma Frigate. I had to bring Paul in because it's Sinnoh, but I wanted to work with Alain as well, showing this vindictive side of him that we saw a bit in the XY series. I know this chapter's short, but it's important.


	20. Chapter 19: Secrets of the Great Marsh

What's this?! A chapter on Sunday?! Who knew such a thing could happen? Jokes aside, I'm bored, so I'm writing a surprise chapter. Regarding Terrell and Natasha going to Unova and Hoenn, it may happen after my initial trilogy I have planned is done, along with the prequel regarding Ash becoming the Alolan Champion.

* * *

The hovercraft flew across the ocean, accompanied by three Team Rocket helicopters. In hot pursuit was the International Police in their own helicopters, accompanied by a squadron of Talonflame. Alain, the captain of the International Police squad, was overseeing the chase. This incident reminded him of when he was in Hoenn three years ago, watching Kyogre and Groudon fight over the Giant Rock in the middle of the ocean.

"Alright, use Flare Blitz on the hovercraft's engines!" shouted Alain. Three of the Talonflame charged at one of the engines while on fire, damaging them. Meanwhile, the Team Rocket grunts within their helicopters sent out a flock of Crobat to deal with the Talonflame. The Pokémon clashed in the skies, with Pokémon on each side falling into the ocean.

"I think it's time," uttered Alain. "Charizard, let's go!"

Alain's Charizard emerged from its Poké Ball, and nodded at Alain. A new Mega Stone could be seen in its necklace, which Alain looked at in confidence.

"Keystone, respond to my heart!" shouted Alain. "Go beyond evolution. Mega Evolve!"

* * *

"Pastoria City," uttered Terrell. "The site of my fifth gym badge."

Terrell and Natasha stood within Pastoria City, which was surrounded by trees. A large gate could be seen, leading to the Great Marsh, a swamp full of Pokémon.

"I think I need to do some more training," uttered Terrell. "And I think the Great Marsh is a good place to do it!"

"This'll be interesting," replied Natasha. "Let's head inside."

The two Trainers entered the Great Marsh, where swampy terrain covered the land. Trees dotted the landscape, and a tram could be seen, which allowed for fast travel through the Marsh.

"Looks nice," uttered Natasha. "Lots of Pokémon here."

Rotom jumped out of Natasha's Pokétch, and looked around.

"Let's start moving," uttered Rotom. "We'll want to find some Pokémon to battle here."

* * *

Charizard, now Mega Evolved, jumped out of the helicopter, and flew towards the battle between the Crobat and Talonflame. With a quick breath, it used Flamethrower, sending the Crobat flying in different directions.

"Nice move!" shouted Alain. "Follow it up with a Dragon Claw on one of the helicopters!"

Charizard readied its claws, and charged at one of the Team Rocket helicopters, slashing at its blades with his sharp claws. The helicopter began flying uncontrollably, and began to fly down into the sea.

"Great job Charizard!" shouted Alain. He watched in anticipation as the hovercraft readied a massive cannon.

* * *

"Use Thunder Punch!" Terrell shouted. Electro readied his fist, and hit a Yanma with an electrified punch, sending it crashing into the mud. The Yanma managed to fly out, however. It let loose a Bug Buzz at Electro which knocked him back.

"Finish this with Fire Punch!" shouted Terrell. Electro punched the Yanma with a flame-cloaked fist, knocking it out.

"Nice job!" shouted Terrell. Suddenly, a burst of flame could be seen in the sky.

"Wonder what that could be..." uttered Natasha. The two trainers made their way to the source of the flame, where they found a fight between two Pokémon: a Magmar, and a Croagunk, with a Drapion and Noctowl behind it. The Croagunk lunged at Magmar with a poisonous fist, hitting it and causing it to kneel down. The Croagunk laughed at Magmar in a cruel manner.

"That's awful," uttered Terrell. "Rotom, can you translate?"

Rotom listened carefully to the conversation between the Pokémon, before turning back to Terrell and Natasha.

"Croagunk's telling Magmar to leave," replied Rotom. "He's saying that Magmar is intruding on their territory."

"Well, we better stop them from doing this," replied Terrell. "Electro, use Thunder Punch on Croagunk!"

Electro dashed at the Croagunk, letting loose an electrified punch. Croagunk fell back into the bushes, with Drapion and Noctowl seeing how it was doing. Magmar got up, and nodded at Electro in respect.

"Ralts, you too," replied Natasha as she released Ralts from her Poké Ball. "Use Psychic on Noctowl!"

Ralts readied a wave of psychic energy, unleashing it at Noctowl and damaging it. Drapion smirked at Electro before slashing him with poisonous claws. Electro was knocked back, but got up quickly.

"Thunder Punch on Drapion, now!" shouted Terrell. Electro smashed Drapion with another electrified punch, sending it flying into the nearby trees. Meanwhile, Noctowl was flying through the air to engage Ralts.

"Use Disarming Voice on Noctowl!" Natasha shouted. Ralts let loose a sound wave which sent Noctowl flying into a tree, knocked out. At this point, Magmar smirked at Croagunk, before blasting him with a pulse of fire and knocking him out. Drapion, clearly outnumbered, fled the battle.

"Nice work guys," uttered Terrell. Magmar got up, and nodded at Terrell in respect.

"Magmar says he was merely foraging for food here," uttered Rotom. "He's thanking you for your help."

"Well Magmar, I'd actually like to catch you," uttered Terrell. "You'd make a fine addition to my team."

Magmar got into a battle stance, and spewed a small flame from his mouth.

"Magmar agrees to battle you," replied Rotom. Terrell smirked, and readied a Poké Ball.

"Electro, you deserve some rest," Terrell uttered. "Munchy, it's your turn."

Munchy jumped out of Terrell's backpack, and snarled at Magmar.

"Use Body Slam!" Terrell shouted. Munchy jumped on top of Magmar, slamming into him. Magmar reeled in pain, but readied himself. A blast of fire came flying out of his hands, which hit Munchy hard. Munchy quickly rebounded, and prepared to fight again.

"Belly Drum!" Terrell shouted again. Munchy readied himself for combat by pounding his belly, increasing his attack power. Magmar smirked before unleashing a shockwave of psychic energy at Munchy, sending him flying. Munchy rebounded, but was injured.

"Use Body Slam again!" Terrell shouted as Munchy leapt into the air and crashed into Magmar, damaging him. Magmar was kneeling down in pain.

"Let's try catching it now," uttered Terrell. "Go, Poké Ball!"

Terrell tossed a Poké Ball at Magmar. It shook several times, as Terrell watched in anticipation. Eventually, it clicked shut. Magmar had been caught!

"All right!" Terrell shouted. "I'll name him Inferno."

"Good name," replied Natasha. "Now, it's getting late. Let's head back to the Pokémon Center."

* * *

A blast of energy hit Alain's helicopter, sending it crashing down. A second blast took out the other International Police helicopter, leaving the hovercraft free to escape. Alain jumped from the helicopter onto his Charizard's back, as did several officers aboard the helicopters, heading onto the backs of the remaining Talonflame.

"Looker, we've failed," uttered Alain as he used his communicator. "The hovercraft shot down our helicopters and left us to escape on our Talonflame and my Charizard."

"Return to headquarters," uttered Looker. "We can still stop Team Rocket before it's too late."

"Understood," replied Alain as he turned off the communicator.

* * *

Terrell's full team of six has been assembled! This chapter's been full of stuff, from Team Rocket seizing the Plasma Frigate to Terrell catching Magmar.


	21. Chapter 20: The Sea is my Ring

Here comes the next chapter! I won't be including the evil Malamar since their arc was wrapped up already in the anime, and it would just lead to more filler. I've also been planning some ideas for spinoff stories that I'll write after the initial trilogy is done, which take place in the same universe. Anyways, let's get started.

* * *

"So they escaped with the hovercraft," Looker uttered. Alain sat opposite his desk, with several photos of the incident off the coast of Unova on the desk.

"Correct," replied Alain. "It appears to have been built by Team Plasma before they were disbanded."

"We have a former head scientist of Team Plasma in a prison located off the coast of Unova," replied Looker. "I suggest you interrogate him about the hovercraft. I'll handle the rest of the case back here."

"I'll head there right away," replied Alain as he left the room.

* * *

"The battle between Crasher Wake, the Gym Leader, and Terrell, the challenger, will now begin!" shouted the referee. "Each Trainer will get access to three Pokémon. In addition, only the challenger may make substitutions!"

"Gyarados, you're up!" shouted Crasher Wake as he threw his Poké Ball onto the battlefield. It was surrounded by a moat of water, with bridges connecting it to the rest of the gym. Gyarados emerged from its Poké Ball, and snarled at Terrell, who stood opposite Crasher Wake. Natasha and Rotom were sitting in the crowd, watching the battle.

"Electro, your turn!" Terrell shouted. Electro jumped out of his Poké Ball, and growled at Gyarados.

"Use Waterfall!" Crasher Wake shouted. Gyarados charged at Electro at a blinding speed, knocking him across the room, into the wall. Electro quickly jumped back into place, readying himself for combat again.

"Use Thunder Punch!" Terrell shouted. Electro lunged at Gyarados with an electrified fist, hitting it hard with a fierce punch. Gyarados's Water and Flying typing was especially vulnerable to the move, causing it to crash into the wall and damage it. Crasher Wake gulped upon seeing this, as he knew it would be tough for Gyarados to win.

"Get back in here and use Bite!" Crasher Wake shouted. Gyarados jumped into the air, and brought down its vicious fangs on Electro, hitting him hard.

"Thunder Punch again!" Terrell shouted. Electro lunged at Gyarados again with an electricity-cloaked fist.

"Dodge and use Waterfall!" Crasher Wake shouted. Gyarados charged at Electro as he jumped into the air, sending him across the room. Upon hitting the ground, Electro struggled to get up, as the Waterfall had dealt quite a bit of damage.

"Thunder Wave!" Terrell shouted. Electro let loose a pulse of electricity from his hands, which left Gyarados in a paralyzed state.

"Fight through it and use Waterfall!" Crasher Wake shouted. Gyarados lunged at Electro, ready to finish him off.

"Dodge and use Thunder Punch!" Terrell shouted. Due to the paralysis, Electro was able to dodge Gyarados's Waterfall before crashing down with an electric fist, knocking him out.

"Gyarados is unable to battle," the referee uttered. "Electro wins!"

* * *

"Giovanni, we've secured the Plasma Frigate," uttered a Team Rocket captain through a hologram. Giovanni smirked upon hearing this.

"Bring it into the base immediately," replied Giovanni. "We'll need to modify it for our use."

"One thing," replied the captain. "We ran into members of the International Police on our way out of Unova."

"Were they dealt with?" replied Giovanni.

"We shot down their helicopters, but a few officers escaped via their Pokémon," the captain replied. Giovanni slammed his fist down on the desk in anger.

"I'm disappointed that you left survivors," replied Giovanni. "But no matter. They only know about the frigate, so it's fine."

* * *

"Quagsire, it's your turn!" shouted Crasher Wake. Quagsire jumped out of its Poké Ball, and looked around the room.

"I'll keep Electro in," Terrell uttered. "I'm sure we can fight through your Quagsire's type advantage."

"Good luck to you then," replied Crasher Wake. "Now, use Mud Shot!"

Quagsire shot a ball of mud at Electro, which sent him across the battlefield. He was gravely injured, but able to fight still.

"Throw out a nice Brick Break!" Terrell shouted. Electro sprung to life, letting loose a fearsome karate chop on Quagsire, who held on, but was still injured.

"Let's follow it up with another Brick Break!" Terrell shouted. Electro jumped at Quagsire again, ready to use Brick Break a second time.

"Dodge and use Mud Shot!" shouted Crasher Wake. Quagsire shot mud in Electro's face, which caused him to fall to the ground, knocked out. Terrell grasped his fist as Natasha and Rotom gasped in shock.

"Electro is unable to battle," the referee uttered. "Quagsire wins!"

"Electro, return," uttered Terrell. "Now Munchy, you're up."

Munchy jumped out of Terrell's backpack and snarled at Quagsire.

"Use Body Slam!" Terrell shouted. Munchy's maneuver into the air surprised Crasher Wake, which led to Quagsire taking some serious damage.

"Throw out a nice Water Pulse!" Crasher Wake shouted. Quagsire fired off a pulse of pure water which struck Munchy, injuring him. Yet, he held on.

"Body Slam!" Terrell shouted. Munchy dived at Quagsire again, leading to some more damage.

"Now, use Mud Shot again!" Crasher Wake shouted. Quagsire shot another glob of mud at Munchy, which led to him being covered in the stuff.

"Belly Drum!" Terrell shouted. Munchy pounded his belly, maximizing his attack power, but also injuring himself.

"Mud Shot!" Crasher Wake shouted as Quagsire shot more mud at Munchy.

"Dodge and use Body Slam!" Terrell shouted. Due to Belly Drum's power increase, Munchy hit Quagsire with a massive amount of force, to the point where he was knocked out.

"Quagsire is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins!"

* * *

"Colress, we have a few questions for you," uttered Alain as he entered the interrogation room alongside two officers. Colress sat on the opposite end of the table.

"Fine by me," replied Colress. "After all, my sentence here is almost over."

"Recognize this hovercraft?" Alain asked as he showed Colress a picture of the hovercraft Team Rocket captured. Colress expressed a shocked face upon seeing the picture.

"Know it? I designed it," replied Colress. "Back in my Team Plasma days, we were going to use that as a mobile command center in Unova, before our organization collapsed. We simply left it to rot in the lab, until Team Rocket captured it."

"Huh," replied Alain. "Can you give us the hovercraft's blueprints?"

"I can," replied Colress. "I'm willing to provide my help with this case if it involves people misusing my technology."

* * *

"Floatzel, you're up!" shouted Crasher Wake. Floatzel jumped out of its Poké Ball, snarling at Munchy.

"Use Body Slam!" Terrell shouted. Munchy charged at Floatzel, slamming into him with his whole body.

"Ice Fang!" shouted Crasher Wake. Floatzel lunged at Munchy, biting him with ice-cold teeth. Munchy was visibly damaged, but held on.

"Now, use Body Slam!" Terrell shouted. Munchy leapt into the air again, ready to slam into Floatzel.

"Aqua Jet," replied Crasher Wake. Floatzel immediately lunged at Munchy at a rapid speed, knocking him out of the air and onto the ground. He was knocked out.

"Munchy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Floatzel wins!"

Terrell grabbed Munchy's unconscious body, and handed it to Natasha, who took it up to the stands. Afterwards, he grasped his last Poké Ball.

"Twiggy, your turn to shine!" Terrell shouted. Twiggy landed onto the ground with a fearsome stomp, and snarled at Floatzel.

"Aqua Jet!" Crasher Wake shouted. Floatzel lunged at Twiggy while cloaked in water, ready to dish out some damage.

"Dodge and use Leech Seed!" Terrell shouted. Twiggy jumped out of the way before letting several vines grasp Floatzel and drain him of his life energy.

"Ice Fang on the vines, now!" shouted Crasher Wake. Floatzel bit into the vines with his sharp teeth, causing them to fall to the ground.

"Use Razor Leaf, now!" shouted Terrell. Twiggy fired off a bundle of leaves at Floatzel, knocking him into the wall. Suddenly, blue light enveloped Twiggy. Evolution was beginning to take place.

"What are the odds that it would happen now?" uttered Terrell. As the blue light swirled around Twiggy, a massive tree could be seen forming on his back as he grew in size. Then, the blue light vanished. Twiggy was now a Torterra! Terrell dashed over to Twiggy, hugging his massive shell. Twiggy nodded in response.

"Looks like you also learned Wood Hammer and Earthquake by evolving," uttered Terrell as he checked Twiggy on his Pokédex. "Now, use Earthquake!"

Twiggy let loose a massive stomp, which caused the ground to shake. Floatzel was struggling to retain his balance, which eventually led to him falling onto the ground. However, the battle was far from over.

"Now, use Aqua Jet!" Crasher Wake shouted. Floatzel cloaked itself in water and lunged at Twiggy, causing him to slide across the ground. Yet, he retained his grip.

"Wood Hammer!" Terrell shouted. The tree on Twiggy's back began glowing bright green, and Twiggy charged at Floatzel, slamming him with the massive tree. Floatzel...was knocked out.

"Floatzel is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins the gym battle!"

"All right!" shouted Terrell as he hugged Twiggy tightly. Natasha, Munchy, and Rotom all ran towards Terrell, with Natasha hugging him tightly.

"I knew you could do it," uttered Natasha. Crasher Wake smiled at the Trainers before handing Terrell the Fen Badge.

"Here's proof that you won here in Pastoria," uttered Crasher Wake. "You put up a good fight."

"Thanks," replied Terrell as he put the badge in his case. He then walked out of the gym alongside Natasha.

"We have a bit of a journey ahead of us," uttered Terrell. "All the way back to Jubilife, and then to Canalave."

"We better see the guy Maylene mentioned while we're in Canalave," replied Natasha. Terrell nodded in response.

"Good idea," replied Terrell.

* * *

What a chapter! I really enjoyed writing this one, and I'm extremely excited for the stuff in Canalave I have planned. Also, Chris will be returning again, and I have big plans for him as a character.


	22. Chapter 21: Encounter on Route 218

The journey to Canalave continues today. Regarding how Dawn became the Top Coordinator, that's a story for another day, that I may write, though if anyone wants to write a story that takes place in the universe I've created, I'm open to it, as long as it's discussed with me. Also, regarding Terrell obtaining an Eevee, he has a full party, though I am considering giving someone an Eevee later on, though if it's Terrell that gets it, it will be in Kanto or Alola. Anyways, let's get going.

* * *

"So, Colress, these are the blueprints for the Plasma Frigate," uttered Looker. "Why did we not find these on your computer before?"

"The folder they were in was password protected," replied Colress. He was sitting opposite Looker in an office, with the blueprints up on a computer monitor, with Alain standing by the door. Looker sat back in his desk, clearly curious.

"We'll need your help if we are to stop Team Rocket," replied Looker. "We're willing to end your sentence if you temporarily work with us until the Team Rocket case is over."

"Of course," replied Colress. "After all, I was only arrested because I was part of Team Plasma. I never believed in any of Ghetsis's sayings, he just paid me a massive salary to design tech for him. I'm not an evil guy."

* * *

"Route 218," uttered Terrell as he stood on the route alongside Natasha. It consisted of a bridge linking Jubilife City to Canalave, with patches of grass and several trees on both sides of the shore. Terrell and Natasha began walking along the bridge, holding hands.

"Remember when we were kids?" uttered Natasha. "We used to play near this bridge all the time."

"Yeah," replied Terrell. "Those were the days."

Suddenly, Terrell felt a tap on his shoulder. Behind him stood Chris, who was standing behind him.

"Heading to Canalave too?" Terrell asked.

"Yep," replied Chris. "But first, let's have a battle. I'm eager to see if I can beat you this time."

"You're on!" exclaimed Terrell. He pulled out a Poké Ball, tossing it onto the ground.

"Electro, your turn!" shouted Terrell. Electro jumped from his Poké Ball, smashing his fists together.

"Monferno, you're up!" shouted Chris in response. Monferno leapt from its Poké Ball, breathing a small flame.

"Use Mach Punch!" Chris shouted. Monferno leapt at Electro, slamming him with a hard punch. Electro braced the attack, but held on.

"Thunder Punch!" shouted Terrell. Electro charged at Monferno, hitting him with an electrified fist. Monferno held on, but was injured.

"Flame Wheel!" shouted Chris. Monferno surrounded itself with flames, before charging at Electro. Electro was knocked back, towards the wall of the bridge, but jumped back into action.

"Thunder Wave!" Terrell shouted. Electro shot a pulse of electric energy at Monferno, paralyzing him.

"Fight through it and use Mach Punch!" Chris shouted. Monferno dived at Electro with his fist out, ready to punch him.

"Dodge and use Brick Break!" Terrell shouted. Electro let out a swift karate chop, knocking down Monferno and knocking him out. Suddenly, blue light enveloped him. He was evolving! The blue light surrounded him, causing wire-like objects to emerge from his back as he grew in size. Eventually, the light disappeared to reveal Electro as an Electivire.

"All right!" shouted Terrell. He then pulled out his Pokédex to see what moves he now knew.

"Looks like you learned Ice Punch," replied Terrell. Electro pounded his fists into the air, ready to fight once again.

"Staraptor, you're up!" shouted Chris. Staraptor emerged from its Poké Ball, growling at Electro.

"Use Thunder Punch!" Terrell shouted. Electro jumped at Staraptor, smashing into him with an electricity-cloaked fist. Staraptor braced the attack, but was still injured.

"Now, use Close Combat!" Chris shouted. Staraptor dived at Electro, letting loose a flurry of pecks, tackles, and wing strikes at Electro, who took in the pain, but still stood injured.

"Ice Punch, now!" shouted Terrell. Electro hit Staraptor with a bluish fist, leaving him injured, but also slowed down.

"Finish this with Return!" shouted Chris. Staraptor charged at Electro, knocking him into a wall and leaving him knocked out.

"Electro, return," uttered Terrell. "Inferno, let's see what you've got."

Terrell tossed out another Poké Ball, letting Inferno out. He spewed fire from his mouth before getting into a defensive position.

"Aerial Ace!" shouted Chris. Staraptor slashed Inferno with his wing, harming him.

"Flamethrower!" shouted Terrell. Inferno let out a burst of flame at Staraptor, knocking him back. Staraptor also appeared to be burnt.

"Use Aerial Ace again!" shouted Chris. Staraptor began to lunge at Inferno, ready to dish out damage.

"Dodge and use Lava Plume!" shouted Terrell. Inferno leapt away from Staraptor, before shooting a blast of magma from his body, which struck Staraptor and knocked him out.

"Staraptor, return," uttered Chris. "Gabite, I choose you!"

Gabite jumped from its Poké Ball, slashing the air with its claws. Terrell and Inferno nodded at each other, recognizing that they would continue the battle together.

"Use Clear Smog!" shouted Terrell. Inferno let out a blast of white powder at Gabite, which prevented him from seeing straight while also dealing damage.

"Bulldoze!" shouted Chris. Gabite smashed the ground with his claws, sending a seismic wave at Inferno. He fell to the ground, knocked out.

"Inferno, return," uttered Terrell. "Chikara, I choose you!"

Chikara jumped from his Poké Ball. Upon seeing Gabite, he snarled, knowing that they had battled before.

"So Chikara evolved," uttered Chris. "Let's see how this goes down. Use Sandstorm!"

Gabite created a sandstorm around him, preventing either party from seeing each other.

"Ready an Aura Sphere," uttered Terrell. Chikara nodded before producing a sphere of pure Aura energy from his hands, but he didn't fire it yet.

"Dragon Claw!" shouted Chris as Gabite lunged at Chikara.

"Now!" shouted Terrell. Chikara tossed the orb of Aura energy at Gabite, sending him flying into the air before landing on the ground.

"Follow it up with a Vacuum Wave!" shouted Terrell. Chikara produced a shockwave of energy, firing it at Gabite.

"Bulldoze!" shouted Chris. Gabite smashed the ground constantly, producing seismic waves. Chikara attempted to jump over them, but was hit twice. He kneeled down in pain, but eventually got up and prepared to fight again.

"Flash Cannon, now!" shouted Terrell. Chikara produced a ball of white energy before firing it at Gabite, knocking him into the bridge wall. It also cleared the sandstorm, leaving the two Pokémon to properly face each other.

"Dragon Claw!" shouted Chris. Gabite lunged at Chikara with his sharp claws, slashing at him with incredible force.

"Vacuum Wave!" shouted Terrell. Chikara fired off a blast of energy at Gabite, which knocked him out.

"Good battle," uttered Chris. "I was close this time."

"You were," replied Terrell. "Good luck challenging the Gym in Canalave."

"You too," replied Chris. As he left, a green-shirted man wearing shorts walked up to Terrell, who Terrell instantly recognized as the man who gave him Chikara's egg.

"I see the egg hatched," uttered the man.

"Yeah, Chikara here has been a vital asset in many of my battles," replied Terrell. "Thanks for the egg."

"Well, that's not what I'm here to talk about," replied the man. "Name's Jeff. Maylene told me you were coming."

"So you're the guy she mentioned," replied Terrell.

"Yes...and no," replied the man. "It's not just me. There's more of us, who live and train on Iron Island."

"I'm heading there then," replied Terrell.

* * *

"Giovanni, we've secured the Prison Bottle," uttered Meowth via a hologram. He stood alongside Jessie and James within a Team Rocket helicopter, with two grunts behind them.

"Excellent," replied Giovanni. "Return to headquarters immediately. We need the bottle soon."

"Yes sir," replied the trio. They turned off the hologram immediately and prepared to leave for Kanto.

* * *

As you can tell, Chris is Terrell's main rival at this point, which I've planned out. I'm also really excited for what I have planned for Iron Island, which will tell us where the story is headed. Anyways, leave a review if you want more!


	23. Chapter 22: History Unveiled

I've been waiting a long time to write this chapter, and I'm super glad that it's here. Regarding Electro evolving improperly, it would be pretty stupid to have Terrell trade him away before trading him back, like what happened with Jessie's Gourgeist in XY. I simply had him evolve through battle because it would be better for the story, and Inferno will probably see the same thing happen. Regarding N, Anthea, and Concordia, I don't have any plans for them at the moment. Now, without further ado, let's begin.

* * *

"We've arrived," uttered Jeff as he knocked on the door of Terrell and Natasha's room. They were sleeping together within a room aboard a boat to Iron Island. Terrell and Natasha got out of bed, quickly changed, and left the room.

"I hear Iron Island is great for training," uttered Terrell. "I might stay here a bit longer after seeing Maylene's contacts here."

"Yeah," replied Natasha. The three of them walked into the cavernous depths of the island, where an old elevator was.

"Our little base of operations is deep within the cavern," uttered Jeff. He pressed a few buttons on the elevator's control panel, thus bringing the group down to the fifth level of the cavern. They followed a path towards a temple of sorts, where many different Trainers were, surrounded by their Pokémon. One of them was standing next to a Lucario, and wore a blue hat alongside his blue jacket.

"Riley, the boy is here," uttered Jeff. Riley nodded and stood before Terrell, with his hand out.

"You must be Terrell Foster," uttered Riley. "Name's Riley. I lead the Aura Guardians here on Iron Island."

"Good to meet you Riley," replied Terrell as he shook Riley's hand. "Wait, who are the Aura Guardians?"

"I'll explain it soon," replied Riley. "For now, we need to discuss the visions I saw."

"Visions?" replied Terrell, clearly shocked. "Maylene's Lucario had some."

"Precisely," replied Riley. "We were close friends at a time, but still keep in contact due to the Aura energies that her Lucario is capable of utilizing. I, too, saw these visions, though it was before she did. It was when we first obtained your Lucario's egg."

"Oh, Chikara's egg?" replied Terrell. "What did you see?"

"We sensed massive amounts of Aura energy within his egg," uttered Riley. "But we mainly saw a faraway region, engulfed in chaos. A figure of purple, raining down havoc. A chain of red, binding two ancient Pokémon. And both truth and ideals somehow clashing due to dimensional manipulation."

"Hmm," replied Natasha. "What do we have to do with this?"

"You two, and another person you've met, will be there at the site of the incident," replied Riley. "And you three will play some role in stopping it."

Terrell and Natasha stood back in shock, as if their entire worlds had been torn apart.

"There's more," replied Riley. "We saw an old enemy of our order involved in the incident."

"This is bigger than I thought," replied Terrell. Riley simply nodded.

"Now, I have a story to tell you two," replied Riley. "Come with me."

* * *

"Anabel, the Team Rocket case has reached a new peak," uttered Looker. "We have to make it a top priority for our organization."

"I agree," replied Anabel. "We lost good officers to the Unova incident. This is almost as bad as the Aether Foundation crisis in Alola."

"We solved that quickly," replied Looker. "Besides, we had the president's children and the current Alolan Champion on our side."

"Still, this case involves taking out one of THE largest crime syndicates in Kanto, and possibly the world," replied Anabel. "I have reports of a disturbance in Johto involving the Lake of Rage, which I think may involve Team Rocket."

"I'll send Alain there immediately," replied Looker. "He's been a vital asset in this case."

* * *

Terrell, Natasha, Riley, and Riley's Lucario entered a room with hieroglyphs on the wall.

"It all began about ten thousand years ago," uttered Riley. "Back then, Sinnoh was nothing more than a few feudal kingdoms that existed on opposite sides of Mt. Coronet. In that time, the Aura Guardians thrived. We roamed Sinnoh, communing with the Aura energy across the land.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but what's Aura?" asked Natasha. Riley smiled.

"Aura...is an energy field of sorts," uttered Riley. "It surrounds us and protects us. It has close ties to time and space, and we Aura Guardians devote our lives to studying and utilizing it."

"Huh," replied Terrell.

"Anyways, let's continue," replied Riley. "We were based atop Mt. Coronet, within an ancient temple known as Spear Pillar. There, we communed with the ancient Pokémon of time and space, learning more about Aura from them. One day, one Aura Guardian discovered a hotbed of Aura energy known as Turnback Cave. He went inside, only to never return."

"So then what happened?" asked Terrell.

"Several of his disciples went inside Turnback Cave," replied Riley. "They stayed inside for a while, learning of the existence of a monstrous creature of sorts that occasionally entered the cave. They said the beast was the one who took their master. They learned to manipulate the Aura energies within the cavern, to the point where they discovered its...destructive tendencies."

Terrell and Natasha gasped.

"We attempted to reason with them," uttered Riley. "We believed their master was dead. However, they saw us as weak. They wanted control of Spear Pillar so they could have enough Aura energy to summon and control the beast that took their master. We had no choice but to expel them from our order. That's when they named themselves the Adherents. Their goal? To destroy our order and free their master from the beast."

"Sounds dangerous," replied Natasha.

"Oh, it was," replied Riley. "That's when the Aura War began. Both sides convinced feudal kingdoms to side with them, fighting alongside their Pokémon. It was this war that led to the deaths of members of both sides. Many of us fled to other regions to train new Aura Guardians, but there were those who remained here in Sinnoh."

"So who won the war?" Terrell asked.

"Neither side did," replied Riley. "Both the Adherents and the Aura Guardians left the war after a key battle atop Spear Pillar, which led to it collapsing into the mountain, where it remains lost to this day. It didn't stop the feudal kingdoms of Sinnoh from continuing it though, as the war was mainly fought between western and eastern Sinnoh. Eventually, both sides united to form the region of Sinnoh we now see today, thus ending the war."

"So what does this have to do with the visions?" Natasha asked.

"We fear that the Adherents are returning," uttered Riley. "They have remained in hiding all this time, and I sensed ripples in time and space that have to do with this vital conflict."

"Huh," replied Terrell. "Well then, is there anything else you need from us?"

"One more thing. It's about your Lucario, Chikara," replied Riley. "We gave you that egg because the visions showed you unlocking Chikara's full power. That's why I'd like to give you this."

Riley handed Terrell a bracelet with a rainbow-colored stone embedded into it, along with a larger bracelet with a reddish-blue stone embedded into it.

"This is a Key Stone and a Lucarionite," uttered Riley. "We kept these items aside for you, knowing that they'd be necessary to unlock Chikara's full power. I obtained them from a friend of mine in the Kalos region."

"Huh," uttered Terrell. "Chikara, head on out!"

Terrell threw his Poké Ball, which led to Chikara jumping out. He nodded at Terrell, before noticing the bracelets.

"This is for you," uttered Terrell as he fitted the bracelet onto Chikara's arm. He then secured his own.

"Now, I too possess a Key Stone and Lucarionite," uttered Riley. "And I think a battle will be a good way to introduce you to the concept of Mega Evolution."

"Alright then!" Terrell shouted. Chikara got into a fighting stance, ready to fight. Natasha, Charchar, and Rotom looked at the two Trainers preparing for battle.

"Lucario, you're up," uttered Riley. "Now, Mega Evolve!"

Lucario became surrounded by purplish energy as he grew in size. Then, he emerged, letting out a massive roar.

"Chikara, Mega Evolve!" shouted Terrell. Chikara let the Mega Evolution energy run through his body, increasing his size. Then, he let out a deafening roar before turning to face Riley's Lucario.

"Power-Up Punch!" shouted Riley. Lucario dashed at Chikara, punching him with a strong fist. Chikara kneeled down, but got back up.

"Aura Sphere!" shouted Terrell. Chikara let loose a blast of Aura energy which knocked down Riley's Lucario.

"Follow it up with a Flash Cannon!" shouted Terrell. Chikara fired a pulse of light energy which hit Riley's Lucario hard.

"Bone Rush!" shouted Riley. Lucario produced a bone from pure Aura energy, charging at Chikara with it. He got in a few hits, but Chikara leapt away.

"Nasty Plot!" shouted Terrell. Chikara calmed his mind, strengthening his attack power.

"Iron Tail!" shouted Riley. Lucario leapt at Terrell, preparing to smash him with his tail.

"Vacuum Wave!" Terrell shouted. Chikara fired a blast of energy at Lucario, which knocked him back.

"Aura Sphere!" shouted the two trainers at the same time. Both Lucario and Chikara fired off blasts of Aura energy at each other, which collided and produced an explosion of Aura energy. Both Trainers looked at the dust cloud, hoping their Pokémon survived. However, when the dust cloud cleared, both Lucario were knocked out.

"It's a tie then," uttered Terrell. "Good battle though."

"We'll take care of Chikara's injuries," uttered Riley. "In the meantime, feel free to train here on Iron Island for as long as you like."

"Thanks for the offer," replied Terrell.

* * *

"Giovanni, my contacts from Sinnoh are here," uttered Dr. Zager as he stood in his lab.

"Let them in," replied Giovanni. Then, three hooded individuals entered the room.

"Greetings, Giovanni," uttered one of the hooded individuals. "You may call us...the Adherents."

* * *

It's pretty evident who the beast is at this point. Anyways, this chapter has been a big one for the history of Sinnoh as well as Terrell obtaining a Key Stone and Lucarionite. Also, I'll be providing my 3DS Friend Code here, if you want to trade or battle with me in Sun & Moon. I don't hold back in my battles, though, so expect to fight 31 IV Pokemon with optimal EV spreads and movesets. I do also have Gen 6 games if you want, and I can easily make teams for those.

0748-2843-9928


	24. Chapter 23: The Steel-type Master

Surprise! A new chapter! I'm writing this due to boredom again. Also, regarding Korrina, I did think of Riley knowing her family and obtaining the Mega Evolution stuff through her. Anyways, let's start.

* * *

"The battle between Byron, the Gym Leader, and Terrell, the challenger, will now begin!" shouted the referee. "Each trainer will get access to three Pokémon. Furthermore, only the challenger can make substitutions."

"Magneton, you're up!" shouted Byron. He was a tall man, with a shovel on his back. As Magneton emerged from its Poké Ball, it let loose small sparks of electricity.

"Inferno, head on out!" shouted Terrell from the opposite side of the battlefield. Inferno leapt from his Poké Ball, spewing fire into the air.

"Thunderbolt!" shouted Byron. Magneton fired an electric blast at Inferno, which knocked him back, into a wall.

"Respond with Flamethrower!" shouted Terrell. Inferno spewed a blast of fire at Magneton, which sent it towards a pillar in the gym.

"Tri Attack!" shouted Byron. Magneton created a series of orbs, firing them at Inferno.

"Dodge and use Flamethrower!" shouted Terrell. Inferno leapt out of the way, firing off another burst of flame.

"Good dodge," uttered Byron. "I can see why you managed to beat my son back in Oreburgh. Now, Magneton, use Lock-On!"

Magneton looked at Inferno, causing a red scope-like light to appear over his head. Terrell gripped his hand in fear as Natasha and Rotom continued watching the battle.

"Inferno, use Will-O-Wisp!" shouted Terrell. Inferno let out a bluish flame which spun around Magneton, burning him.

"Gah!" shouted Byron. "Fight through it and use Zap Cannon!"

Magneton fired a ball of electrical energy, which homed in on Inferno.

"Hit it back with Flamethrower!" shouted Terrell. Inferno breathed a strong burst of fire, which knocked the Zap Cannon projectile back at Magneton, knocking him out.

"Magneton is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Inferno wins!"

* * *

The rain was pouring down around the Lake of Rage as Alain and his men scoured the area for Team Rocket's forces.

"Where could they be?!" thought Alain. He had heard the story about the Red Gyarados that once roamed the lake, which, ironically, resembled the one Lysandre used three years ago in the Lumiose incident. Suddenly, they stumbled upon an abandoned research facility near the lake.

"Fan out and search the facility," uttered Alain.

* * *

"Steelix, your turn!" shouted Byron. Steelix jumped out of its Poké Ball, slamming its massive tail onto the ground.

"Flamethrower!" shouted Terrell. Inferno let out another burst of fire at Steelix, which hit it hard.

"Earthquake," uttered Byron. Steelix slammed the ground with his tail, letting out a hefty wave of seismic energy that knocked down Inferno, leaving him knocked out. Terrell gasped upon seeing this happen.

"Inferno is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Steelix wins!"

"Inferno, return," uttered Terrell. "Pippy, I choose you!"

Pippy jumped out of his Poké Ball, now an evolved Prinplup. He spread out his wings, preparing to fight.

"Okay, use Scald!" shouted Terrell. Pippy fired a blast of boiling hot water at Steelix, knocking him into a wall.

"Dig!" shouted Byron. Steelix dug his way underground, confusing Pippy. Suddenly, he jumped out, knocking Pippy into the air.

"Follow up with Iron Tail!" shouted Byron. Steelix lunged at Pippy.

"Dodge it and use Scald!" Terrell shouted in response. Pippy jumped out of the way, shooting boiling hot water at Steelix again.

"Thunder Fang," uttered Byron. Steelix lunged at Pippy, biting into him with sharp, electrified fangs. Pippy went flying across the room, but held on.

"Finish this with Drill Peck!" shouted Terrell. Pippy tackled Steelix, drilling into him with a fearsome peck and knocking him out.

"Steelix is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Pippy wins!"

Suddenly, blue light enveloped Pippy. He was beginning to evolve!

"Wow," uttered Terrell. He, Natasha, and Byron watched as Pippy grew in size, gaining a trident-like object embedded into his head. Then, the blue light vanished. Pippy, now an evolved Empoleon, slashed the air with his new, massive wings.

"All right!" shouted Terrell as he hugged Pippy tightly. Byron nodded at Terrell as the two trainers prepared to finish the battle.

* * *

"Intruders!" shouted a Team Rocket grunt within a laboratory. "We've got International Police officers in the complex."

"Activate the Persian Security System," replied the captain of the grunts. "It should still be working through the backup Electrode generator."

Meanwhile, in another part of the building, Alain and his officers noticed that the Persian statues around the building were gaining glowing red eyes, as if something had been activated.

"They know we're here," uttered Alain.

* * *

"Bastiodon, you're up!" shouted Byron. Bastiodon landed on the battlefield. causing the nearby ground to shake with his presence.

"Aqua Jet!" shouted Terrell. Pippy nodded before cloaking himself in water and dashing at Bastiodon, colliding with him head on. Bastiodon went flying back, but still held on.

"Heavy Slam!" shouted Byron. Bastiodon tackled Pippy with tremendous force, knocking him across the room.

"Scald!" shouted Terrell. Pippy fired another stream of boiling hot water at Bastiodon.

"Dodge and use Stone Edge!" shouted Byron. Bastiodon created massive stalagmites of rock from the ground, which hit Pippy and knocked him out. Terrell gasped and rushed over to Pippy in fear.

"Pippy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Bastiodon wins!"

"Pippy, return," uttered Terrell. "Chikara, it's time."

Terrell threw out Chikara's Poké Ball, sending him out. He let out a roar before nodding at Terrell.

"Now, Key Stone, let the energy within take effect," uttered Terrell. "Go beyond evolution, and Mega Evolve!"

Terrell's Key Stone, and Chikara's Lucarionite, began glowing, causing Chikara to grow in size and transform into his Mega Evolved form. Byron gulped slightly upon seeing this.

"Should've accepted that Steelixite from the Kalosian tourist who came here," muttered Byron. "Anyways, use Heavy Slam!"

Bastiodon charged at Chikara headfirst.

"Dodge and use Aura Sphere!" shouted Terrell. Chikara leapt out of the way, and fired off a blast of Aura energy, which hit Bastiodon hard.

"Stone Edge!" shouted Byron. Bastiodon formed several massive stalagmites from the ground, which sent Chikara into the air and back down to the ground.

"Use Flash Cannon to shatter the stone!" shouted Terrell. Chikara fired off a blast of light energy that shattered the Stone Edge stalagmites, sending debris across the battlefield. Bastiodon was hit by some of the debris, but held on.

"Heavy Slam!" shouted Byron. Bastiodon charged at Chikara, sending him flying towards the wall of the battlefield.

"Aura Sphere!" shouted Terrell. Chikara fired off another orb of Aura energy, which hit Bastiodon hard. Yet, he somehow held on.

"Finish this with Bulldoze!" shouted Byron. Bastiodon smashed the ground, sending seismic waves across the battlefield, several of which hit Chikara.

"Now, follow up with Heavy Slam!" shouted Byron. Bastiodon charged at the confused Chikara, ready to finish the job.

"Dodge and use Flash Cannon!" shouted Terrell. Chikara lunged out of the way, and fired off another pulse of light energy, which knocked out Bastiodon. As the battle was over, Chikara returned to his normal form.

"Bastiodon is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Which means Terrell wins the gym battle!"

"YES!" shouted Terrell as he hugged Chikara. Natasha also jumped down from the spectator area, looking fondly at Terrell.

"I knew you'd make it," uttered Natasha as she kissed Terrell on the cheek. Terrell blushed in response.

"This is proof of your victory here," uttered Byron as he handed Terrell the Mine Badge. "Now, I never expected to face someone who could use Mega Evolution, and you've certainly proven yourself as a Trainer. Now, head on out there and conquer your next gym."

"Thanks," replied Terrell as he walked out of the gym alongside Natasha. He then pulled out a map of Sinnoh to decide on the next destination.

"We have a bit of a trek towards our next gym," uttered Terrell. "More specifically, we'll need to brave the tundra of northern Sinnoh as well as Mt. Coronet to get to Snowpoint City."

"We can buy some cold-weather clothing here," replied Natasha. Terrell nodded in response.

* * *

"That was a horrible failure of an investigation," uttered Alain. "They forced us out of there, and who knows what they found there?"

The International Police officers stood outside of the abandoned research facility, which was now locked down by security mechanisms. The rain was continuing to pour down.

"Say, where's Johnson?" Alain asked. Suddenly, a fist pounded on the window of the research lab. Johnson was trying to escape from the facility, but was suddenly pulled away.

"They've got a hostage," uttered Alain. "This'll be difficult."

* * *

And there we have it. Evolution, the next Gym Badge, and Team Rocket's plot at the Lake of Rage. Also, since I started on my spring break, there may be more frequent chapters coming for the next week or so.


	25. Chapter 24: The Cold North

The journey to Snowpoint begins. I plan for this arc to be around two to three chapters long. Also, regarding the Alolan Trial Captains, May, Lillie, and Max, I'm having trouble deciding what to do with May, seeing as I don't want her being Hoenn's Top Coordinator and copying what I did with Dawn. I may bring in Max as a rival since he'd be on a journey right now, and the Trial Captains will be in the prequel as well as the Alola segment of the trilogy. As for Lillie, she'll be in the prequel, and may also appear as a rival in the future if I'm going by Sun & Moon's story of her leaving Alola for other regions.

* * *

"Giovanni, we secured the data from the Lake of Rage lab," uttered a Team Rocket captain through a hologram. Giovanni smiled on the other end.

"Excellent," replied Giovanni. "Did you run into any trouble on your way in?"

"We did capture an International Police officer," replied the captain. "He was the only member of his squad to fail in escaping the place."

"Bring him in for questioning," replied Giovanni. "We need to know how much his organization knows."

* * *

Terrell and Natasha exited Mt. Coronet to find Route 216: a mountainous road covered in snow. The two of them now wore cold-weather clothing to allow for easier navigation through the snow.

"There's a Pokémon Center north of here," uttered Terrell as he was shivering. "We...we should head there."

"It's so cold out here," replied Natasha. Terrell nodded before continuing to walk through the deep snow. As time passed by, the snow began crashing down harder. At this point, it looked like hypothermia could strike at any moment.

"The Pokémon Center's too far for us to go without freezing to death," uttered Terrell. "We should rest for the night in that little cave over there."

"Good...idea..." replied Natasha. The two of them entered the cave to find a few tree branches inside.

"We'll need a fire," uttered Terrell. "Inferno, head on out!"

Inferno leapt out of his Poké Ball, and fired off a small burst of flame at the branches to create a fire. Terrell also let out his other Pokémon so they could rest in the cave. Fortunately, there was enough space for all of them.

"Thanks..." replied Natasha. The two trainers readied their sleeping bags, which they had bought before they ventured off to Snowpoint alongside some other cold weather supplies. Natasha sat next to Terrell near the fire, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm glad we're sticking together out here," uttered Natasha.

"Me too," replied Terrell. Suddenly, Rotom jumped out of Natasha's Pokétch.

"Let's have some fun while we wait out the cold weather," uttered Rotom. "Before we went out here, I installed several games onto your Pokétches to help pass by the time as we wait out the blizzard."

"Sounds fun," replied Terrell.

* * *

"Johnson was captured," uttered Alain. Looker slammed his fist down on the desk in frustration.

"Damn," replied Looker. "This is a tough case. I thought we had them there, but we were unprepared again."

"Looker, it's fine," replied Alain. "We've faced tougher cases."

"Still, this one is massive," replied Looker. "If we fail this, the whole world could be falling apart."

* * *

"Fifth time in a row," uttered Natasha. "I beat you again."

"Come on," replied Terrell. "You know I'm bad at Voltorb Flip."

Natasha smirked in response. Back when they were kids, she was always better at video games than Terrell.

"Anyways, I need to get some sleep," replied Terrell. He got into his sleeping bag, and began sleeping.

"Uh, do you mind if we sleep together?" Natasha asked. "It's still pretty cold."

"Not at all," replied Terrell. The two of them entered the sleeping bag, snuggling up together.

* * *

Yeah, I know. This is a filler chapter. I wanted some nice bonding here between the two.


	26. Chapter 25: Changing Goals

Wednesday's chapter is coming early since I'm leaving for a trip on Wednesday. I'll try to write at least one chapter on my trip though. Regarding Mythicals, Terrell won't be catching any, though one of them will be playing a role.

Also, a graphical warning for one of the Team Rocket segments: it gets dark. Fast.

* * *

"Temperature outside has warmed up a bit," uttered Rotom. "Now's our chance to get to the Pokémon Center!"

Several hours had passed since Terrell and Natasha stopped to rest in the cave on Route 216. The blizzard outside had calmed down due to Rotom's analysis, which allowed them to get ready for the next leg of the journey up to Snowpoint. Terrell got all of his Pokémon back in their Poké Balls save for Munchy, and got ready to head out.

"Let's see if we can brave the weather," uttered Terrell.

* * *

"So, you failed to reunite with the other officers," uttered Jessie. She, James, and Meowth had been chosen to interrogate the captured International Police officers.

"How much do you know about our plans?" asked James. The officer, shackled to the table, was sweating profusely, as if he was anxious.

"Not telling you anything..." uttered the officer. He appeared to be tired, and could barely speak.

"Go on," uttered Meowth. "We brought some donuts with us. If you tell us one little piece of information, we'll give you one."

"Only...the highups...know anything..." uttered the officer. Meowth, Jessie, and James shrugged and exited the room, where Giovanni was waiting impatiently alongside his Persian.

"He says only the highups know anything," uttered James. Giovanni expressed a face of anger.

"I'll handle this," replied Giovanni. He entered the room, slamming his fist down on the table.

"Tell me what you know!" shouted Giovanni. The officer was startled immediately.

"I told you, I don't know anything!" shouted the officer. Giovanni nodded at Persian, who jumped onto the table to face the officer.

"My Persian here is more than willing to dish out some damage to you," uttered Giovanni. "Spill the beans, or he'll rip your face off."

"You don't have the guts to kill a police officer," uttered the officer. Giovanni smirked.

"Persian, Fury Swipes," uttered Giovanni. Jessie, James, and Meowth watched in horror as the officer's innards became outards, splashing onto the window of the interrogation room.

* * *

The snow came down on Route 217, shrouding the area. Terrell and Natasha kept forging forward, making their way to the Pokémon Center, holding hands as they walked through the snow.

"This is sort of nice," uttered Terrell. "Being with you, out here in the freezing cold, bonding together."

"It is," replied Natasha. She rested her head on Terrell's shoulder as they walked through the route. Suddenly, a Weavile jumped from a nearby patch of snow, snarling at the two of them.

"Inferno, let's go!" shouted Terrell. Inferno leapt from his Poké Ball, firing a plume of flame into the air. The Weavile dashed at Inferno, using Night Slash to dish out some damage. Inferno reeled in pain, but held on.

"Counter with Will-o-Wisp!" shouted Terrell. Inferno shot a bluish flame at the Weavile, burning it. The fire began melting the nearby snow, and lit up the nearby area. The Weavile hit Inferno with an ice-cold fist, sending him across the snow.

"Grab some snow and melt it in midair to confuse Weavile!" shouted Terrell. Inferno threw some snow into the air, burning it and sending water down onto Weavile, confusing it.

"Finish this with Flamethrower!" shouted Terrell. Inferno shot a burst of flame at the Weavile, which melted the snow and knocked it out. Suddenly, blue light enveloped Inferno, indicating that he was evolving.

"Huh," uttered Terrell. "He's evolving."

Inferno's arms grew in size, and became almost like cannons. Flames began burning on his shoulder and back. Then, the blue light disappeared to reveal Inferno as a Magmortar.

"All right!" shouted Terrell. "You've evolved!"

Inferno hugged Terrell tightly before shooting a plume of fire into the air.

* * *

The monitors within the International Police headquarters suddenly turned to static. Looker, Anabel, and Alain watched them curiously.

"Must be a satellite problem," muttered Looker. Suddenly, a purple R appeared on all of the screens, before showing a shadowed figure.

"Attention International Police," uttered the figure. "Team Rocket doesn't need your intervention. We've been one step ahead of you every time."

Alain clenched his fist in anger.

"Surrender now, or prepare for a fight," uttered the figure. "Prepare for a fight, and this will happen."

Johnson's bloodied, scarred head landed on the ground before the shadowed figure. Looker, Anabel, and Alain were clearly horrified. Then, the screens turned back to normal.

"Johnson was a good man," uttered Anabel. "We must double our efforts against Team Rocket."

"I agree," replied Alain. "We need to find their base in Kanto, and put a stop to their plans."

"I'll contact the Kanto authorities," uttered Looker. "They can help us."

"We may have to disclose some information to the public though," replied Anabel. "They can't stay uninformed."

* * *

Terrell and Natasha rushed into the Pokémon Center, exhausted and cold. Other Trainers were also inside, coping with the blizzard. Terrell walked over to the desk, placing down his Poké Balls while Munchy jumped onto the desk.

"Please take care of my Pokémon," uttered Terrell. The Nurse Joy behind the desk nodded before walking off with the Pokémon. Terrell sat down at a table alongside Natasha.

"We should contact Gary again," uttered Terrell. "It's been a while."

"Yeah," replied Natasha. Terrell readied a video call, with Gary picking up quickly.

"Hey!" uttered Gary. "Where are you two now?"

"Over in a Pokémon Center on Route 217," uttered Terrell. Gary expressed a shocked face.

"I heard there was a huge blizzard up there," uttered Gary. "You two alright?"

"We're fine," replied Terrell. "Just two badges away from the league conference."

"Good to hear," replied Gary. "Anyways, stay warm up there."

Gary hung up, leaving Terrell and Natasha to talk in the Pokémon Center. Suddenly, someone tapped on Terrell's shoulder.

"I see you also got stuck in the blizzard," uttered Chris. Terrell smiled at him.

"Heading up to Snowpoint as well?" asked Terrell.

"Yep," replied Chris. "Say, what's that on your wrist?"

"Oh, this?" asked Terrell as he looked at his Key Stone. "This is a Key Stone. It's for Mega Evolution. I got it from the guy who gave me Chikara's egg alongside a Lucarionite."

"Mega Evolution?!" exclaimed Chris. "I'm jealous. Though, my uncle back in Canalave has a Key Stone. Maybe I can contact him and see where he got it."

As the three Trainers talked, the TV in the Pokémon Center changed to a breaking news broadcast.

"This is a Jubilife TV special report," uttered the anchor. "Today, the International Police have revealed that a criminal organization succeeded in stealing an experimental hovercraft from a lab in Unova several weeks ago. The resulting pursuit led to the loss of several officers, and a continued investigation. The International Police have refused to provide additional details regarding the case, however."

"I wonder what they're going to do with that hovercraft," uttered Terrell. He then turned to face Chris.

"I'd battle you right now if it wasn't so cold outside," uttered Terrell. Chris nodded in response.

"Yeah, so would I," replied Chris. "Though, I've been thinking about stuff."

"What do you mean?" replied Terrell.

"I'm thinking of giving up as a battler," replied Chris. "You see...there's been something I've always wanted to get into."

"Like contests?" replied Terrell.

"No, silly," replied Chris. "The Pokéathalon. It's a sporting event that's popular in Kanto and Johto. I always wanted to compete in it as a kid, but my family has always been pushing me to do the gym challenge."

"Huh," replied Natasha. "Are you not a big battler?"

"Not really," replied Chris. "I've always preferred utilizing the hidden talents of my Pokémon in unorthodox ways."

"I have an idea," replied Terrell. "You could travel with us, and I'm actually considering going to Kanto after the league conference, whether I win or not, as it'll be good training."

"Wow," replied Chris. "I guess I'll accept your offer. Though, you still owe me that battle you promised."

"Once the blizzard's over," replied Terrell.

* * *

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, as it let me give Chris some character development. He's going to be a permanent travelling companion from this point on, and I'm excited to also delve into the Pokéathalon once the Kanto segment of the trilogy begins.


	27. Chapter 26: Frozen-up Strategies

Here comes a new chapter! I'll be writing quite a bit on my trip by the way. Regarding Frillish, it's a weird choice of Pokémon, though I'm still tossing around ideas for his Kanto and Alola teams, though I know what starters he's choosing for them. Also, I didn't know about the trainer with the Piplup that had the same name. I'm just awful at naming when it comes to anything.

* * *

"That was gruesome," uttered Meowth as he entered the break room alongside Jessie and James. They sat down at a table, clearly scarred by what Giovanni had done earlier.

"I thought the boss had that strict no-kill rule," replied James. "He said it was there because if it didn't exist, we'd just be murderers, not criminals."

"Well, he is getting more ruthless," replied Jessie. "Remember, he even authorized the use of deadly weaponry aboard the Plasma Frigate."

"Still, I didn't join Team Rocket to kill people," replied Meowth. "I joined because I had nowhere else to go after Meowzie rejected me."

* * *

"The gym battle between Terrell, the challenger, and Candice, the Gym Leader, will now begin!" exclaimed a Pokémon League referee. "Each trainer will get access to three Pokémon. In addition, only the challenger can make substitutions."

"Piloswine, you're up!" shouted Candice. Piloswine jumped from its Poké Ball, letting out a breath of frost.

"Pippy, you're up!" shouted Terrell. Pippy jumped from his Poké Ball, getting into a battle stance. The battlefield was surrounded by snow, with Natasha and Chris watching from the spectator area.

"Use Hail!" shouted Candice. Piloswine roared, causing hail to come crashing down onto the battlefield.

"Use Hydro Pump!" Terrell shouted. Pippy fired a massive burst of water at Piloswine, knocking it back. Piloswine rushed back into battle right away.

"Avalanche!" exclaimed Candice. Snow came crashing down onto Pippy, knocking him onto the ground.

"Fight through it and use Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy let out a flash of light energy, hitting Piloswine hard.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Candice. The ground began to tremble, causing Pippy to lose his grip and fall to the ground. At this point, the hail was beginning to freeze over the battlefield.

"Use Aqua Jet and shatter the ice!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy nodded before cloaking himself in water and dashing at the ice, shattering it and sending fragments everywhere. Piloswine was hit by several of them, which led to a KO.

"Piloswine is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Terrell wins!"

"Terrell seems like he knows what he's doing," uttered Chris. "I hope he wins."

"Yeah," replied Natasha. "He's really good at battling."

"Abomasnow, your turn!" exclaimed Candice. Abomasnow jumped from its Poké Ball, smashing the ground with its fists.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy fired off another burst of light energy at Abomasnow, which knocked him back.

"Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Candice. Abomasnow rushed at Pippy, smashing him with a glowing green fist. Pippy went flying, but barely held on.

"Use Aqua Jet!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy dashed at Abomasnow while cloaked in water again, ready to strike.

"Focus Blast," replied Candice. Abomasnow fired off a pulse of energy at Pippy, knocking him out.

"Pippy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Abomasnow wins!"

"Pippy, return," uttered Terrell. "Inferno, your turn!"

Inferno leapt out of his Poké Ball as an evolved Magmortar, letting loose a quick pulse of fire into the air. Candice gulped slightly upon seeing the pulse of flame.

"Water Pulse!" exclaimed Candice. Abomasnow let out a blast of water at Inferno.

"Use Thunderbolt to neutralize the water!" Terrell shouted. Inferno let out a quick jolt of electricity that cancelled out the Water Pulse, sending the water down to the ground.

"Quickly, use Focus Blast!" exclaimed Candice as Abomasnow readied a ball of energy.

"Use Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno fired off a blast of fire, which hit Abomasnow before the Focus Blast was ready. Abomasnow found itself burning up as a result of the Flamethrower attack.

"Fight through it and use Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Candice. Abomasnow charged at Inferno with a glowing green fist.

"Dodge and use Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno quickly leapt out of the way before shooting a blast of flame, leaving Abomasnow knocked out. He then blew the smoke out of his arm cannons.

"Abomasnow is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Inferno wins!"

"One more left," uttered Terrell.

"Froslass, I choose you," uttered Candice. Froslass let out an eerie sound, causing Inferno to shudder.

"Use Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno shot a blast of fire at Froslass, causing it to take some damage. However, it held on.

"Shadow Ball!" exclaimed Candice. Froslass shot a pulse of shadowy energy at Inferno, dishing out some damage.

"Will-o-Wisp!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno fired off a bluish flame that burnt Froslass, causing it to howl in pain.

"Follow it up with a Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno fired a pulse of electricity at Froslass.

"Send it back at him with a Shadow Ball!" exclaimed Candice. Froslass quickly shot a ball of ghostly energy at the Thunderbolt, which bounced it back at Inferno and knocked him out.

"Inferno is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Froslass wins!"

"Inferno, return," uttered Terrell. "Munchy, let's finish this."

Munchy leapt from Terrell's shoulder, and snarled at Froslass.

"Odor Sleuth!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy sniffed around for a bit before detecting Froslass, who appeared to be alarmed.

"Quick, use Psychic!" exclaimed Candice. Froslass sent out a telekinetic shockwave at Munchy, who was knocked down.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy leapt on top of Froslass, sending it down to the ground. It howled in pain, but remained intact.

"Blizzard!" exclaimed Candice. Froslass let out a cold wind, which hit Munchy hard.

"Finish this with a Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy leapt into the air, preparing to come crashing down.

"Destiny Bond," uttered Froslass. Froslass let out a shadowy beam that bound it to Munchy, causing them to both go down when the Body Slam hit.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Therefore, this match ends in a tie."

"Huh," uttered Terrell. "Guess I'll be heading back here soon."

"Nah, I knew I was beat," uttered Candice. "I just used Destiny Bond to end it in style. I'll give you the Icicle Badge."

Candice handed Terrell the badge as Chris and Natasha came down to the battlefield.

"Sunyshore City is the closest to the island where the Lily of the Valley Conference is being held," uttered Terrell. "We'll have to head a long way if I want to challenge the gym there."

"No need," uttered Candice. "I know a guy who can get you there via ship from Snowpoint."

"Wow," replied Terrell. "Thanks."

* * *

I thought having the battle end in a tie would be interesting. Also, the League Conference is coming up, and I'll be bringing in some cameos there from two of Ash's rivals in Sinnoh that we didn't see before. Don't worry, I have an explanation for Tobias's shenanigans. Anyways, see you again.


	28. Chapter 27: A Farewell to Battling

We'll be having one filler chapter before the Sunyshore Gym Battle, to see if I can write a six-on-six battle effectively.

* * *

Terrell, Natasha, and Chris disembarked from the ship that took them from Snowpoint to Sunyshore, arriving in the city. The walkways were like solar panels, powering the city while providing easier transportation. Most buildings were situated on rocky bluffs that were connected to the walkways.

"Let's head to the Pokémon Center first," uttered Chris. "Then we can get ready for our battle."

"Sounds good," replied Terrell. The three of them entered the Pokémon Center, and sat down.

"So how many Pokémon each?" asked Chris.

"Let's do a six on six," replied Terrell. "I want to see how I'll do in that situation in the event that I do reach the semifinals of the League Conference."

"Sounds good," replied Chris. The two of them made their way to the battlefield, with Natasha, Rotom, and Charchar watching from the sidelines.

"Scizor, you're up!" exclaimed Chris. Scizor jumped from its Poké Ball, nodding at its Trainer in response.

"Electro, I choose you!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro leapt from his Poké Ball, slamming the ground with his fist.

"Use Bullet Punch!" exclaimed Chris. Scizor dashed at Electro, hitting him with a flurry of punches.

"Thunder Punch, now!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro smashed Scizor with an electrified fist, sending it across the battlefield. However, it held on.

"X-Scissor!" exclaimed Chris. Scizor lunged at Electro with his claws out.

"Dodge and use Fire Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro leapt out of the way and hit Scizor with a burning fist, causing tremendous damage.

"Roost, quick!" exclaimed Chris. Scizor got into a defensive stance, healing itself.

"Use Thunder Punch to close the gap!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro hit Scizor with another powerful punch, sending him running. It was at that point that the paralysis took effect.

"Fight through it and use Bullet Punch!" exclaimed Chris. Scizor quickly ran at Electro, letting out another flurry of punch attacks.

"Fire Punch, now!" exclaimed Terrell. A fiery fist hit Scizor, knocking him out.

"Scizor, return," uttered Chris. "Jolteon, your turn!"

Jolteon jumped from its Poké Ball, snarling at Electro.

"This'll be interesting," uttered Terrell. "Use Ice Punch!"

Electro lunged at Jolteon with a frozen fist.

"Dodge and use Signal Beam!" exclaimed Chris. Jolteon quickly ran out of the way before letting out a pulse of energy at Electro, knocking him back.

"Fight through it and use Brick Break!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro hit Jolteon with a swift chop, dealing incredible damage.

"Hidden Power!" exclaimed Chris. Jolteon fired off a ball of mysterious energy, which hit Electro and knocked him out.

"No!" exclaimed Terrell as he rushed towards the unconscious Electro. "Return, now!"

Terrell looked through his Poké Balls, seeing who he could use at this point. Then, he made his decision.

"Twiggy, you're up!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy crashed into the ground as a Torterra, letting out a loud roar.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy let out a seismic wave that shook the ground beneath Jolteon, dishing out damage. Jolteon struggled to keep its balance.

"Fight through it and use Signal Beam!" exclaimed Chris. Jolteon fired off another pulse of energy at Twiggy, knocking him back slightly.

"Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy smashed Jolteon with the tree on his back, sending it flying across the battlefield.

"Hidden Power!" exclaimed Chris. Jolteon fired off another mysterious orb of energy at Twiggy.

"Hit it back with Stone Edge!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy let loose spiked stones, which deflected the Hidden Power and sent it back at Jolteon, knocking it out.

"Jolteon, return," uttered Chris. "Infernape, let's do this!"

Infernape leapt out of its Poké Ball, letting out a burst of flame from its mouth.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy let out another seismic wave across the battlefield.

"Dodge it and use Fire Punch!" exclaimed Chris. Infernape leapt into the air, smashing into Twiggy with a fiery fist. The damage was big, and a burn even formed.

"Gah!" exclaimed Terrell. "Quick, use Stone Edge!"

Pointed stones emerged from the ground again, hitting Infernape a few times.

"Now, use Earthquake again!" exclaimed Terrell.

"Quick, Mach Punch!" exclaimed Chris. A swift punch hit Twiggy before the Earthquake could occur, and left him knocked out.

"Twiggy, you battled well," uttered Terrell. "Pippy, I choose you!"

Pippy leapt out of his Poké Ball, slashing the air with his fins.

"Thunder Punch!" exclaimed Chris. Infernape lunged at Pippy with an electrified fist.

"Quick, use Aqua Jet!" exclaimed Terrell. A swift charge while cloaked in water allowed Pippy to send Infernape flying across the battlefield.

"Use Close Combat!" exclaimed Chris. Infernape lunged at Pippy with its fists out, pounding him with a flurry of punches. Pippy held on, however.

"Hydro Pump!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy let loose a massive pulse of water at Infernape, dishing out impressive damage.

"Thunder Punch!" exclaimed Chris. Infernape prepared to strike Pippy with another fist of electricity.

"Dodge and use Aqua Jet!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy leapt out of the way and lunged at Infernape while cloaked in water, knocking it out.

* * *

"So you have Team Galactic's Red Chain," uttered a hooded figure. He stood in a Team Rocket lab alongside two other hooded figures and Dr. Zager.

"Correct," replied Dr. Zager. "It turns out that they had an artificial one left in their headquarters, which we managed to secure shortly after the organization collapsed."

"We've been studying how to draw forth beings from other dimensions," uttered one of the hooded figures. "The Red Chain is the secret to this."

"Team Galactic did attempt that," uttered Dr. Zager. "However, they were stopped by children."

"That shouldn't be a problem," uttered another hooded figure. "We know how to draw out the gods of space and time themselves."

"One question," asked Dr. Zager. "Why do you want to utilize it so badly?"

"We have our reasons," replied one of the hooded figures.

* * *

"Infernape, return," uttered Chris. "Tangrowth, let's finish this!"

Tangrowth jumped out of its Poké Ball, letting out its vines into the air.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. A blast of light energy hit Tangrowth, sending it flying.

"Sunny Day!" exclaimed Chris. Harsh sunlight appeared throughout the battlefield, affecting the battlers' performance.

"Quick, use Aqua Jet!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy cloaked himself in water once again, and dashed at Tangrowth. However, the damage was greatly reduced due to the sunlight.

"Solar Beam!" exclaimed Chris. A beam of light energy hit Pippy, knocking him out.

"Pippy, return," uttered Terrell. "Inferno, use the sunlight to our advantage!"

Inferno jumped from his Poké Ball, blasting fire into the air. Chris gulped, knowing what he had unleashed upon the battlefield.

"Ancient Power!" exclaimed Chris. Tangrowth produced a bundle of rocks and tossed it at Inferno, dishing out heavy damage.

"Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno produced a blast of fire, and fired it at Tangrowth. Both the super-effective damage and the sunlight combined to deal massive damage.

"That's strong stuff," uttered Chris. "Use Sludge Bomb!"

Tangrowth fired a ball of poisonous liquid at Inferno, hitting him hard.

"Flamethrower again!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno let out another bundle of fire, which hit Tangrowth extremely hard. It looked like another Flamethrower could knock it out.

"Leech Seed," uttered Chris. Thick vines wrapped around Inferno, draining him of his life energy and using it to heal Tangrowth.

"Use Will-o-Wisp!" exclaimed Terrell. A sinister bluish flame spun around Tangrowth, burning him.

"Fight through it and use Solar Beam!" exclaimed Chris. Light energy came crashing down through the sky.

"Dodge it and use Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno fired off a massive pulse of fire at Tangrowth, knocking it out.

"Tangrowth, return," uttered Chris. "Staraptor, keep pushing forward!"

Staraptor emerged from its Poké Ball, letting out a defiant squawk.

"Use Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. A burst of flame hit Staraptor hard.

"Brave Bird!" exclaimed Chris. Staraptor lunged at Inferno, hitting him with a strong tackle.

"That was a strong hit," uttered Terrell. "Now, use Thunderbolt!"

Inferno fired off a pulse of electrical energy at Staraptor.

"Dodge it and use Return!" exclaimed Chris. Staraptor swiftly flew out of the way, and lunged at Inferno with another high-powered tackle, knocking him out.

"Inferno, return," uttered Terrell. "Munchy, let's go!"

Munchy leapt off of Terrell's shoulder, snarling at Staraptor.

"Aerial Ace!" exclaimed Chris. Staraptor slashed at Munchy with a strong strike from its wing, dishing out some heavy damage.

"Belly Drum!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy pounded on his chest, increasing his attack power.

"Brave Bird!" exclaimed Chris. Staraptor swooped down, and prepared to strike Munchy.

"Dodge and use Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy dashed out of the way before jumping onto Staraptor, dealing damage.

"Close Combat, now!" exclaimed Chris. Staraptor hit Munchy with a flurry of wing and foot strikes, leaving him injured.

"Close the gap with Return!" exclaimed Chris. Staraptor flew through the air towards Munchy, ready to strike.

"Counter!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy grabbed Staraptor before it could strike, and threw him to the ground.

"Finish it off with Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy crashed into Staraptor, damaging it heavily and knocking it out.

"Staraptor, return," uttered Chris. He turned to face his last Poké Ball.

"Garchomp, let's go!" exclaimed Chris. Garchomp jumped out of its Poké Ball, letting out an ear-piercing roar.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy jumped on top of Garchomp, dishing out heavy damage.

"Now, use Dragon Claw!" exclaimed Chris. Garchomp slashed Munchy with a massive claw strike, leaving him heavily injured.

"Use Crunch to close the gap!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy lunged at Garchomp with his teeth out.

"Dodge and use Bulldoze!" exclaimed Chris. Garchomp swiftly jumped out of the way, slamming into the ground to create a massive wave of seismic energy. Munchy was hit hard and knocked out.

"Munchy, no!" exclaimed Terrell. He set Munchy's unconscious body aside, before readying his last Poké Ball.

"Chikara, we can still win this," uttered Terrell. Chikara leapt from his Poké Ball, letting loose a powerful roar.

"Now, Key Stone, unleash the energy within!" exclaimed Terrell. "Go beyond evolution, and Mega Evolve!"

Mega Evolution energy suddenly enveloped Chikara, causing him to transform into his Mega-Evolved form.

"Dragon Claw!" exclaimed Chris. Garchomp lunged at Chikara with his claws, slashing him hard.

"Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara let out a strong pulse of Aura energy at Garchomp, hitting it hard.

"Now, Sandstorm!" exclaimed Chris. A sandstorm took over from the previous sunny weather, leaving the battlefield shrouded.

"Ready an Aura Sphere," uttered Terrell. Chikara prepared a ball of Aura energy for when Garchomp would come at him.

"Fire Fang, now!" exclaimed Chris. Garchomp lunged out of the sandstorm with flaming fangs.

"Now, let out that Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara fired off the Aura Sphere, which knocked Garchomp across the battlefield.

"Nasty Plot!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara calmed his mind, raising his attack power.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Chris. A wave of seismic energy went across the battlefield, hitting Chikara hard.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. A beam of light energy hit Garchomp, knocking him out.

"That was a fun battle!" exclaimed Chris. "It was close too."

"You could probably still go for the Pokémon League," replied Terrell. Chris shook his head in response.

"Nah, I've already decided to become a Pokéathlete," replied Chris. "But you've got a gym battle here, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," replied Terrell. "And this battle was great training."

* * *

This battle has been incredibly fun to write, as it's also an experiment to see how I can write a six-on-six battle. Anyways, next chapter will be the gym battle, followed by the Pokémon League. Anyways, leave a review if you want more!


	29. Chapter 28: One Last Badge

You know how I said chapters may be reduced in frequency? Well, screw that. I'll be trying to write nonstop chapters every day during my trip. Regarding a big reunion of all of Ash's travelling companions, I may have that happen in the prequel story, which I'm also excited to write. Anyways, here's our final gym battle.

* * *

"The gym battle between Terrell, the challenger, and Volkner, the Gym Leader, will now begin!" uttered the referee. "Each trainer will get access to three Pokémon. Furthermore, only the challenger can make substitutions!"

"Raichu, you're up!" exclaimed Volkner. His Raichu jumped out of its Poké Ball, letting out a quick surge of electricity. Natasha and Chris sat in the spectator area, watching the battle.

"Electro, you're up!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro leapt from his Poké Ball, slamming into the ground.

"Looks like it's electricity against electricity," uttered Volkner. "Use Quick Attack!"

Raichu charged at Electro at a blinding speed, hitting him hard with a swift tackle.

"Ice Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro let loose a frozen fist, hitting Raichu hard.

"Focus Blast!" exclaimed Volkner. Raichu fired a blast of energy at Electro, sending him across the battlefield.

"Brick Break!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro dashed at Raichu with his arm out.

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" exclaimed Volkner. Raichu leapt out of the way before slamming into Electro, knocking him back.

"Use Fire Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro hit Raichu with a burning fist, landing a burn in the process.

"Fight through it and use Signal Beam!" exclaimed Volkner. Raichu let out a surge of energy at Electro, hitting him hard.

"Keep up the pressure with a Quick Attack!" exclaimed Volkner. Raichu dashed at Electro at a blinding speed.

"Dodge and use Brick Break!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro jumped out of the way and hit Raichu with a swift chop, knocking him out.

"Raichu is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Electro wins!"

"Raichu, return," uttered Volkner. "Luxray, you're up next."

Luxray emerged from its Poké Ball, snarling.

"Use Fire Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro let out a burning fist, hitting Luxray hard.

"Crunch!" exclaimed Volker. Luxray charged at Electro, biting down on him and dealing heavy damage.

"Ice Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro charged at Luxray with a frozen fist.

"Dodge and use Fire Fang!" exclaimed Volkner. Luxray leapt out of the way and bit down on Electro with flaming fangs, knocking him out.

"Electro is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Luxray wins!"

"Electro, return," uttered Terrell. "Munchy, you're up."

Munchy leapt off of Terrell's shoulder, preparing for battle.

"Belly Drum!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy pounded his belly, raising his attack power.

"Use Thunder Fang!" Volkner shouted. Luxray charged at Munchy with electrified fangs, biting down hard.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy came crashing down onto Luxray, dishing out heavy damage.

"Crunch!" exclaimed Volkner. Luxray came running at Munchy, preparing to unleash a devastating bite.

"Dodge and use Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy swiftly dodged the Crunch attack, and came crashing down towards Luxray, dealing heavy damage.

"Thunder Fang!" exclaimed Volkner. Luxray leapt at Munchy with its electrified fangs, unleashing a strong bite.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy leapt onto Luxray in one last attack, knocking it out.

"Luxray is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Munchy wins!"

"Luxray, return," uttered Volkner. "Electivire, let's finish this."

Electivire leapt from its Poké Ball, letting out electricity from its wire-like tails.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy leapt onto Electivire, dishing out heavy damage.

"Thunder Punch!" exclaimed Volkner. A strong, electrified fist hit Munchy, dishing out heavy damage.

"Body Slam, now!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy leapt into the air, preparing to come crashing down onto Electivire.

"Swat him away with Fire Punch!" exclaimed Volker. Electivire's fist began burning as it hit Munchy in midair, knocking him out.

"Munchy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Electivire wins!"

"We can't lose this Munchy," uttered Terrell as he put his unconscious body aside. "Twiggy, it's all on you now."

Twiggy leapt from his Poké Ball, crashing into the ground extremely hard.

"I remember a Trainer who used his Torterra first against my Electivire," uttered Volkner. "Ice Punch, now!"

Electivire hit Twiggy with an ice-cold fist, dealing heavy damage. Twiggy managed to hold on, however.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. A seismic wave overran the battlefield, hitting Electivire with heavy damage.

"Fire Punch!" exclaimed Volkner. Electivire rushed towards Twiggy with a burning fist.

"Use Stone Edge to create a barrier!" exclaimed Terrell. Massive stalagmites rose from the ground, with Electivire running into one and taking damage.

"Now, use Earthquake to shatter the the stalagmites!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy let out another seismic wave, which shattered the stalagmites and sent debris everywhere. Several shards of rock hit Electivire, leaving it injured.

"Ice Punch!" exclaimed Volkner. Electivire rushed towards Twiggy with an ice-cold fist once again, ready to end the battle.

"Wood Hammer, now!" exclaimed Terrell. Electivire was met with a massive strike from the tree on Twiggy's back, which knocked out Electivire.

"Electivire is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Which means Terrell wins the battle!"

"YES!" exclaimed Terrell. Natasha and Chris came down from the spectator area to hug him in congratulations, with Natasha holding on especially tight.

"Here's proof of your victory: the Beacon Badge," uttered Volkner as he handed Terrell the badge. "Now, head on over to the Pokémon League."

* * *

"The journey's almost over," uttered Terrell as he watched the sunset alongside Natasha, who had her head rested on his shoulder. "The Lily of the Valley Conference starts in three days."

"Yeah," replied Natasha. "What'll you do if you lose?"

"I'll head to another region and challenge their League," replied Terrell. "Besides, I'm planning to go to Kanto whether I win or not, as it'll be good training for the Elite Four."

"Well, I won't be leaving your side anytime soon," replied Natasha. "If you go to Kanto, I'm coming with you."

"Thanks Nashy," replied Terrell. "Now, what do you say we have some personal time right now?"

"I'd love that," replied Natasha.

* * *

All eight badges are now in Terrell's possession. Now, we see how he does in the League.


	30. Chapter 29: The League Awaits

We'll be having one quick filler chapter before Terrell's first battle in the conference. We'll also get to see which of Ash's two Sinnoh rivals are competing in this chapter. Also, I'm going to be taking a break from Team Rocket segments until the conference is over because they just distract from the main story, and we're getting into the battle-heavy stuff. As for other characters watching the conference, you'll see what I have planned.

* * *

"Lily of the Valley Island," uttered Terrell. "The site of the League Conference."

The ship Terrell, Natasha, and Chris were on docked at the island, where a massive stadium overlooked the docks. Hotels lined the area to provide competing Trainers with a place to stay during the conference. The badge check gates were located near the docks.

"Just gotta head through here," uttered Terrell as he took out his badge case. The machine analyzed the badges, before producing a checkmark on the screen.

"Terrell Foster is eligible to compete in the Lily of the Valley Conference," uttered an electronic voice. "You will be staying in Room 24, within Complex F."

"We better head over there now," uttered Chris. As the Trainers walked around the island, they saw Trainers training their Pokémon for the conference, with others chatting or taking advantage of the services around the island. On the way to Complex F, Terrell's Pokétch began ringing, as if someone was trying to contact him.

"Must be Gary," uttered Terrell as he turned it on. The three Trainers came face to face with Gary Oak.

"Got all eight badges?" asked Gary.

"Yep," replied Terrell. "I'm ready to compete."

"Well, I'm actually at the conference as well," replied Gary. "I'm not competing though. I'm just watching it."

"Huh," replied Natasha. "We should meet up before the opening ceremonies."

"Of course!," replied Gary. "In fact, I want to battle Terrell. I may just be a researcher, but I've always been a strong battler. Once you've got settled into your hotel room, call me back and we'll arrange for our battle."

"Sounds good," replied Terrell. He ended the video call and continued walking.

"You know Gary Oak?" asked Chris. "Never knew."

"He was the one who gave me Twiggy and gave Natasha Charchar," replied Terrell. "I'm excited to battle him though."

"It'll be good training," replied Natasha. Terrell nodded. As they entered the hotel, they took the elevator up to their room, and got settled in fairly quickly. Terrell turned on his Pokétch's phone app again to call Gary.

"We're staying in Complex F," uttered Terrell. "Can you meet us in the lobby?"

"Sure," replied Gary. "We'll decide on rules there."

Gary ended the call, leaving Terrell, Natasha, and Chris to head down the elavator to the lobby of the hotel. Gary was waiting there.

"Two on two good?" asked Gary.

"Fine by me," replied Terrell. The group of four walked over to the battlefield outside the hotel, where they readied for battle.

"Umbreon, let's go!" exclaimed Gary. Umbreon emerged from its Poké Ball, letting out a shockwave of dark energy.

"Twiggy, I choose you!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy crashed into the ground, letting out a defiant roar.

"Use Foul Play!" exclaimed Gary. Umbreon lunged at Twiggy, pushing him into the ground.

"Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy lunged at Umbreon, smashing it with the tree on his back.

"Toxic!" exclaimed Gary. Poison overran Twiggy's body, leaving him in bad shape.

"Fight through it and use Stone Edge!" exclaimed Terrell. Massive stalagmites burst out of the ground, hitting Umbreon.

"Use Psychic on the stalagmites!" exclaimed Gary. Umbreon shattered the stalagmites with psychic energy, sending debris everywhere.

"Hit back the debris with Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy smashed the shards of rock with the tree on his back, sending them across the battlefield. Several of them hit Umbreon.

"Quick Attack!" exclaimed Gary. Umbreon dashed at Twiggy at an alarming rate.

"Dodge and use Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy leapt out of the way before unleashing a seismic wave, knocking out Umbreon.

"Umbreon, return," uttered Gary. "Blastoise, it's all on you."

Blastoise jumped from its Poké Ball, letting out water from its cannons.

"Use Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy charged at Blastoise, dealing heavy damage with the tree on his back.

"Water Pulse!" exclaimed Gary. Blastoise fired off a massive burst of water at Twiggy, dishing out damage.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. A seismic wave went across the battlefield, hitting Blastoise hard.

"Ice Beam!" exclaimed Gary. An ice-cold beam of energy hit Twiggy, knocking him out. At this point, several nearby Trainers were gathering around the battlefield to watch the battle.

"Twiggy, return," uttered Terrell. "Chikara, we can finish this."

Chikara leapt from his Poké Ball, landing swiftly.

"Now, Key Stone, let out the energy within!" exclaimed Terrell. "Mega Evolve!"

Chikara swiftly Mega Evolved, letting out a deafening roar.

"Two can play at that game," uttered Gary. "Blastoise! Mega Evolve!"

Blastoise became shrouded in purplish energy, before emerging with a massive cannon on its back.

"Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara fired a pulse of Aura energy at Blastoise, dealing impressive damage.

"Dragon Pulse!" exclaimed Gary. Blastoise let out a shockwave of mysterious energy at Chikara, dealing heavy damage.

"Nasty Plot!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara calmed his mind, raising his attack power.

"Hidden Power!" exclaimed Gary. A ball of mystic energy went flying towards Chikara.

"Dodge and use Vacuum Wave!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara leapt out of the way before unleashing a blast of energy at Blastoise, dealing vicious damage.

"Use Water Pulse!" exclaimed Gary. Blastoise fired a pulse of water at Chikara, dealing damage.

"Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara fired another blast of Aura energy at Blastoise, knocking it out.

"Looks like you win," uttered Gary. "Good battle."

"Yeah, it was fun," replied Terrell. "See you at the opening ceremonies."

"You too," replied Terrell. As he walked over to Natasha and Chris, he was suddenly stopped by two Trainers. One of them had a pair of glasses on and black hair, while the other had blond hair and wore a red and white hoodie, and what appeared to be a Key Stone on his wrist.

"You battled well kid," uttered the Trainer with glasses. "Never thought we'd see a user of Mega Evolution here."

"Yeah, I didn't expect to see someone else with a Key Stone," replied the blond-haired Trainer. "What's your name?"

"Terrell," replied Terrell. "Yours?"

"My name's Barry," replied Barry. "My friend here is Conway. We're competing in the Lily of the Valley Conference as well."

"Guess we might be battling then," replied Terrell. "Good luck to both of you."

"You too," replied Conway. Terrell went over to Natasha and Chris as they made their way to the stadium for the opening ceremonies.

* * *

The torch in the stadium was lit, signalling the beginning of the conference. Cynthia, the reigning champion, went up to the stage for a speech.

"Welcome to the Lily of the Valley Conference!" exclaimed Cynthia. "Only the best of the best make it here to battle for the chance to challenge the Champions' League!"

The Trainers in the stadium cheered. Terrell, Natasha, Chris, Gary, Conway, and Barry were sitting in the spectator stands, watching the ceremonies.

"Rules are simple," uttered Cynthia. "Each battle will have a distinct battlefield that will force Trainers to adjust their strategies appropriately. Battles will be three on three until the semifinals, when it'll switch over to six on six."

"But before we can reveal the first battles of the conference, a certain matter must be discussed," uttered Cynthia. "Many of you remember Tobias, the winner of the conference four years ago. He and his Darkrai defeated every opponent in their way and secured the trophy. However, after a brief investigation, we discovered that his Pokémon were obtained from a gang of poachers who capture Legendary Pokémon. We subsequently revoked Tobias's right to challenge the Champions' League, stripped him of his Pokémon Trainer license, and confiscated his Darkrai, Latios, Nihilego, Zapdos, Victini, and even a Mega Evolution-capable Rayquaza."

Terrell shuddered, as did the other Trainers in the audience.

"Let his story act as a reminder to all of you," uttered Cynthia. "A reminder that those who use illegally obtained Pokémon will be stripped of their license, disqualified from the conference, and face the loss of their Pokémon. Now then, here's who you'll all be battling."

The screen in the stadium began showing the matchups. Terrell saw that he was pitted against a purple-hatted Trainer with a simple t-shirt.

"These battles will all be taking place tomorrow," uttered Cynthia. "Now, have a good rest and get ready for the battles tomorrow."

Terrell left the stadium alongside Natasha and Chris, heading to his hotel room. As he got ready for bed, he knew that tomorrow would hold a tough battle, and that he needed to be ready to face Sinnoh's toughest Trainers, even those who have gone to other regions. It would be tough, but he'd push through.

* * *

Tobias's full team was mainly there as a joke, since his victory was complete bullshit. I do plan for either Barry or Conway to win the conference, as I don't want Terrell to win just yet. Anyways, see you soon.


	31. Chapter 30: A Strong Start

I'm bored, so I'm delivering another chapter tonight. I just made up the stuff about Tobias since I hated the fact that he won. Also, I've started up a forum thread for the story on the website known as Lake Valor. If you ask questions there, I'm more likely to answer at a faster pace.

/topic/16717-an-emerging-trainer/

For some reason, the link is fucked up by the way this website works. Just put that at the end of lakevalor. net. I put a space between lakevalor. and the word net because if I put them as one word, it deletes it.

Anyways, let's go.

(put line here)

Terrell rushed into the stadium for his first battle of the Lily of the Valley Conference. He was running late, and barely made it onto the battlefield. His opponent, a Trainer with a purple hat and a t-shirt, stood before him, smirking. Natasha and Chris were in the spectator area, watching the battle.

"The battle between Terrell Foster and Caleb Blake will now begin!" exclaimed the announcer. "Each trainer will get access to three Pokémon. The battle will end when one Trainer is unable to continue. The battlefield for this battle will be a Fire-type battlefield."

A volcanic battlefield emerged from the center of the stadium, with Terrell and Caleb walking onto the battlefield.

"I came here from Unova to see if I could tackle another region's Pokémon League," uttered Caleb. "Let's see if Sinnoh's trainers truly are powerful."

"We are," replied Terrell.

"Conkeldurr, let's go!" exclaimed Caleb. Conkeldurr leapt from its Poké Ball, slamming the ground with its massive stone pillars.

"Inferno, you're up!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno leapt from his Poké Ball, creating a ring of fire in the air with his arm cannons.

"Hammer Arm!" exclaimed Caleb. Conkeldurr brought down a massive fist on Inferno, dishing out powerful damage.

"Psychic!" exclaimed Terrell. Magmortar fired a telekinetic wave at Conkeldurr, dishing out heavy damage.

"Bulk Up!" exclaimed Caleb. Conkeldurr readied its body for battle, increasing its attack power.

"Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno let loose a blast of fire, which hit Conkeldurr hard. It remained in its defensive stance, however.

"Keep up the pressure with Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno let out a burst of electricity at Conkeldurr.

"Dodge and use Mach Punch!" exclaimed Caleb. Conkeldurr leapt out of the way, and rushed at Inferno with a strong fist, dishing out heavy damage due to the previous Bulk Up. However, Inferno held on.

"Will-o-Wisp!" exclaimed Terrell. A bluish flame went flying towards Conkeldurr, burning it.

"Mach Punch!" exclaimed Caleb. Conkeldurr rushed at Inferno with its fist out, hitting him hard. It looked like another Mach Punch would finish him.

"Psychic!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno let out another burst of fire at Conkeldurr, which was strong enough to leave him vulnerable.

"Finish him off with Knock Off!" exclaimed Caleb. Conkeldurr leapt at Inferno with his stone pillar out.

"Dodge and use Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno let out a burst of fire as he dodged the Knock Off, which led to a KO.

"Conkeldurr is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Inferno wins!"

"Conkeldurr, return," uttered Caleb. "Chandelure, let's go!"

Chandelure emerged from its Poké Ball, spinning a wheel of fire in the air.

"Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno let out a blast of electricity at Chandelure, which dealt impressive damage.

"Shadow Ball, now!" exclaimed Caleb. Chandelure produced an orb of shadowy energy, tossing it at Inferno and dealing heavy damage. Inferno was kneeling down, as if he was almost knocked out.

"I know you're tired, but we can finish this!" exclaimed Terrell. "Use Psychic!"

Inferno let out a wave of telekinetic energy at Chandelure.

"Dodge it and use Energy Ball!" exclaimed Caleb. Chandelure swiftly flew out of the way before firing off an orb of energy at Inferno, which knocked him out.

"Inferno is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Chandelure wins!"

"You battled well Inferno," uttered Terrell. "Electro, head on out!"

Electro crashed into the battlefield, thrashing his fists in the air.

"Fire Blast!" exclaimed Caleb. Chandelure produced a ball of flame, lobbing it at Electro.

"Neutralize it with Thunder Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro punched the ball of fire into the ground, stopping it in midair.

"Now, use Thunder Punch on Chandelure!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro rushed at Chandelure with an electrified fist, hitting it hard.

"Shadow Ball!" exclaimed Caleb. Chandelure produced another ball of energy, which hit Electro hard.

"I have a strategy in mind," uttered Terrell. "Use Thunder Punch again!"

Electro lunged at Chandelure with an electrified fist once again.

"Dodge and use Shadow Ball!" exclaimed Caleb. Chandelure leapt out of the way and fired off another orb of energy.

"Hit it back, now!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro punched the Shadow Ball back at Chandelure, knocking it out.

"Chandelure is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Electro wins!"

"Chandelure, return," uttered Caleb. "Bisharp, it's all on you."

Bisharp leapt from its Poké Ball, getting into a battle stance.

"Brick Break!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro slammed Bisharp with a swift chop, dealing heavy damage.

"Psycho Cut!" exclaimed Caleb. Bisharp slashed Electro with a swift cut of purplish energy.

"Fire Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro rushed at Bisharp with his flaming fist out.

"Sucker Punch," uttered Caleb. Bisharp swiftly struck Electro in the chest as he leapt at it, hitting him hard. It looked like another hit would spell game over.

"Thunder Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro hit Bisharp with another swift punch cloaked in electricity.

"Swords Dance," uttered Caleb. Bisharp readied itself for battle with a frenetic fighting dance.

"Brick Break, now!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro dashed at Bisharp with his arm out.

"Dodge and use Psycho Cut!" exclaimed Caleb. Bisharp swiftly dodged the attack before slashing at Electro, knocking him out. Terrell, Natasha, and Chris looked on in horror upon seeing the fainted Electro

"Electro is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Bisharp wins!"

"Electro, you put up a good fight," uttered Terrell. "Now then, Chikara! You can finish this!"

Chikara leapt from his Poké Ball, spreading out his fists.

"Let's hope that Mega Evolution can turn the tides," uttered Chris.

"I know Terrell can win this," replied Natasha. "He's strong, and knows what he's doing."

"Key Stone! Unleash the power within!" exclaimed Terrell. "Mega Evolve!"

Chikara became engulfed in Mega Evolution energy, before Mega Evolving and letting loose a flurry of punches in the air.

"Knock Off!" exclaimed Caleb. Bisharp dashed at Chikara, preparing to let out a strong slash.

"Dodge and use Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara swiftly leapt out of the way, firing a ball of Aura energy at Bisharp. Bisharp looked injured, but held on.

"Psycho Cut!" exclaimed Caleb. Bisharp slashed Chikara with a strong cut, dealing heavy damage.

"Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara readied a ball of Aura energy.

"Sucker Punch," uttered Caleb. Bisharp lunged at Chikara with a swift uppercut before he could fire off the Aura Sphere.

"Nasty Plot!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara calmed his mind, raising his attack power.

"Knock Off!" exclaimed Caleb. Bisharp lunged at Chikara again with a swift slash.

"Finish him off with Sucker Punch!" exclaimed Caleb. Bisharp lunged at Chikara with another swift strike.

"Vacuum Wave!" exclaimed Terrell. Bisharp was pushed away by Vacuum Wave before the Sucker Punch could hit, dealing heavy damage.

"Aura Sphere, now!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara fired off a ball of Aura energy.

"Psycho Cut!" exclaimed Caleb. Bisharp cut through the Aura sphere like a hot knife through butter, neutralizing it.

"Keep up the pressure with Knock Off!" exclaimed Caleb. Bisharp lunged at Chikara with his arms out.

"Dodge and use Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. A blast of light energy hit Bisharp as Chikara leapt out of the way, knocking it out.

"Bisharp is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Which means Terrell wins the battle and advances to the next stage of the conference!"

"YES!" exclaimed Terrell as he hugged Chikara. The crowd cheered after seeing the battle, with Natasha and Chris especially excited.

"I knew he'd win!" exclaimed Natasha. Terrell walked over to Caleb, who was looking at him in respect.

"Gotta hand it to you, that was a fun battle," uttered Caleb. "If you're ever in Unova, pay me a visit in Striaton City."

"I'll try," replied Terrell as he shook Caleb's hand.

(put line here)

"I can't believe I won!" exclaimed Terrell as he hugged Natasha and Chris in the lobby of the stadium.

"That was a fun battle to watch," uttered Chris. Suddenly, Barry and Conway walked over to Terrell.

"I see you made it further," uttered Conway. "Barry and I already won our battles."

"Nice!" replied Terrell. "I hope I can battle one of you at some point."

"As do I," replied Barry. "I want to see us both using Mega Evolution to battle one-another."

"Yeah, this Key Stone has been a vital asset," replied Terrell. "Really useful."

"Anyways, Barry and I are gonna grab lunch at the Pokémon Center," replied Conway. "You three want to join us?"

"Sounds good!" replied Terrell. The five of them went over to the Pokémon Center to grab lunch.

(put line here)

This first battle was really fun to write. I'm going to have a mix of Pokémon from all seven regions in the conference, to shake things up a bit. In addition, I'm considering doing a timeskip to the quarterfinals to save time, as the conference probably has hundreds of contestants. Anyways, see you again.


	32. Chapter 31: Almost at the Semifinals

I just got back from my trip, with some big announcements. Firstly, this story should be finished by the end of next week, with the Kanto segment of the trilogy coming right after. The next announcement is a big one. I'm creating an official subreddit on Reddit to allow for discussion of this story and my future stuff: /r/tigertotsfanfiction. If you haven't used Reddit before, it's really simple to use. It's also far easier for me to answer readers' questions on there instead of answering them right at the start of a new chapter after a few days of waiting.

Also, regarding me utilizing DeviantArt, I'm a horrible artist. I can't draw anything, with my skills being as advanced as a five-year-old drawing stick figures. So if someone is good with art and wants to do fanart, just do it. I'll appreciate it. With that in mind, let's go.

* * *

"This is a Jubilife TV Report on Day 5 of the Lily of the Valley Conference!" uttered a TV anchor. "The quarterfinals are starting today, leaving just a few more battles to go!"

The TV switched to a shot of Twiggy knocking out a Swampert with Wood Hammer as the crowd cheered.

"We've seen many intense battles, including those that involve Mega Evolution," uttered the anchor. "There's two trainers we've seen with Mega Evolution-capable Pokémon. The first of these is a boy named Barry and his Mega Heracross."

The shot changed to Barry's Mega Heracross using Pin Missile on an Alakazam, dishing out heavy damage.

"Barry and his Heracross have made their way through the conference undefeated. Barry himself has competed in the conference four years ago, though this time, he means business. When we interviewed him, he had to say this."

The shot switched to Barry being interviewed, with his Heracross behind him.

"Mega Evolution is a powerful tool for any Trainer," uttered Barry. "Though I wouldn't solely rely on it. Heracross here is more than capable of battling without it."

"Our next Trainer is Terrell Foster and his Mega Lucario, named Chikara," uttered the anchor. "Coming all the way from Jubilife, he's a new Trainer on the scene who's showed that experience isn't all that matters. Here's what he had to say."

The shot switched to Terrell being interviewed. Chikara stood alongside him.

"I honestly never expected to find a Key Stone and Lucarionite," uttered Terrell. "But it's been extremely useful in these battles. I don't use Chikara in every battle, but when I do, I feel a rush of energy surging through me, beckoning me to fight harder and harder."

"And that's it for the pre-quarterfinals coverage!" exclaimed the anchor. "We now go live to Lily of the Valley Island, where our first quarterfinal is taking place."

The TV switched to the stadium, which was recognized by the viewer of the conference sitting in the room.

"It's been years since we were there Pikachu," he uttered. "Let's see this new generation of trainers."

* * *

Terrell walked into the stadium, with the crowd cheering at him. It was true that he now had a reputation of sorts as one of the only two Trainers in the conference with Mega Evolution-capable Pokémon. His opponent was named Vivian Allen, and had a reputation as a fierce trainer from Sunyshore City.

"The quarterfinals battle between Terrell Foster and Vivian Allen will now begin!" exclaimed the announcer. "Each Trainer will be utilizing three Pokémon, and battle will end when all three of one Trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle. For this battle, the battlefield will be a Grass-type one."

A forest rose out of the center of the stadium, with both Trainers walking onto it. Vivian stood before Terrell with her black jacket and sunglasses, as if she was trying to look tough.

"Mega Evolution isn't the only thing you need to win a battle," uttered Vivian. "It takes analysis and knowledge of the enemy Trainer."

"It does take those things," uttered Terrell. "But it also takes courage and compassion."

"Well said," replied Vivian. "Gliscor! You're up!"

Gliscor leapt from its Poké Ball, flying into the sky.

"Pippy, let's go!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy crashed into the ground, spreading his fins to get ready for battle.

"Sandstorm!" exclaimed Vivian. Gliscor whipped up a sandstorm, shrouding the battlefield. Pippy looked around, watching for Gliscor.

"Use Aqua Jet to clear the sandstorm!" shouted Terrell. Pippy lunged through the sandstorm

"Now, use Bulldoze!" exclaimed Vivian. Gliscor crashed into Pippy from the sandstorm, cancelling out the Aqua Jet and sending him a short distance.

"Ice Beam!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy let out an ice-cold beam of energy at Gliscor, hitting him hard.

"Brick Break!" exclaimed Vivian. Gliscor hit Pippy with a swift strike from his claw, sending him reeling backward.

"Hydro Pump!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy fired a burst of water at Gliscor.

"Dodge it and use Aerial Ace!" exclaimed Vivian. Gliscor flew out of the way before lunging at Pippy with a strong tail strike.

"Aqua Jet!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy lunged at Gliscor while cloaked in water for heavy damage.

"Bulldoze!" exclaimed Vivian. Gliscor slammed into the ground to unleash a seismic wave.

"Dodge and use Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy let out a burst of light energy at Gliscor, dealing strong damage.

"Brick Break!" exclaimed Vivian.

"Aqua Jet!" exclaimed Terrell. The two Pokémon charged at each other, creating a burst of dust across the battlefield. The dust cloud eventually cleared to show both Pokémon knocked out.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Please choose your next Pokémon."

"Rampardos, you're up next!" exclaimed Vivian. Rampardos leapt out of its Poké Ball, roaring loudly.

"Munchy, let's go!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy leapt from Terrell's shoulder to face Rampardos. It was almost like Terrell's first gym battle against Roark, except this time the stakes were higher.

"Belly Drum!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy pounded his chest, raising his attack power.

"Head Smash!" exclaimed Vivian. Rampardos smashed into Munchy headfirst, sending him flying across the battlefield. However, he held on.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy smashed into Rampardos's skull, hitting it hard. However, it remained sturdy.

"Iron Head!" exclaimed Vivian. Rampardos charged at Munchy head-on.

"Counter!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy jumped out of the way before slamming Rampardos into a nearby wall.

"Follow it up with Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy leapt at Rampardos once again.

"Counter with Head Smash!" exclaimed Vivian. Rampardos slammed into Munchy as he was in the air, sending him across the battlefield. It looked like one more Head Smash would end the battle.

"I have an idea," Terrell said to himself. "Use Body Slam!"

Munchy leapt at Rampardos with full force.

"Head Smash again!" exclaimed Vivian. Rampardos reared its head back in preparation for another massive headbutt.

"Now!" exclaimed Terrell. "Use Counter!"

Munchy slammed into Rampardos's body before it could unleash the Head Smash, sending it into the wall and knocking it out.

"Rampardos is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Munchy wins!"

"Rampardos, return," uttered Vivian. "Magnezone, finish this!"

Magnezone emerged from its Poké Ball, letting out a quick surge of electricity.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy leapt at Magnezone with full force, dealing heavy damage.

"Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Vivian. Magnezone zapped Munchy with a jolt of electricity, sending him flying. He managed to hold on, albeit paralyzed.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy attempted to jump on top of Magnezone, but the paralysis took effect.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Vivian. Magnezone fired a flash of light energy at Munchy, knocking him out.

"No!" exclaimed Terrell as he ran over to Munchy's unconscious body.

"Munchy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Magnezone wins!"

"One last Pokémon," muttered Terrell. "Twiggy, it's all on you."

Twiggy crashed out of his Poké Ball, letting out a fierce roar.

"Stone Edge!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy let loose stalagmites from the ground, which hit Magnezone for decent damage.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Vivian. Magnezone let out a burst of light energy at Twiggy, which knocked him back.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. A seismic wave went flying across the battlefield, which hit Magnezone for tremendous damage. However, it held on.

"Magnet Rise!" exclaimed Vivian. Magnezone went up into the air, negating any future Ground-type attacks.

"Let's see you use Earthquake on it now," uttered Vivian. Terrell clenched his fist in response.

"Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy smashed Magnezone with the tree on his back, sending it flying.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Vivian. Another surge of light energy hit Twiggy.

"We trained for this move," uttered Terrell. "Now, use Stoneshatter!"

Twiggy produced several Stone Edge stalagmites, before shattering them with Earthquake to send rock shards across the battlefield. The idea of shattering Stone Edge stalagmites had led to Terrell experimenting with the tactic alongside Twiggy, culminating in the creation of the move Stoneshatter. Several rock shards hit Magnezone, sending it to the ground and ending Magnet Rise's immunity.

"Now, use Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. A wave of seismic energy hit Magnezone for vicious damage. It was now struggling to remain in the air.

"Tri-Attack!" exclaimed Vivian. Magnezone fired three orbs of fire, electric, and ice energy at Twiggy, hitting him hard.

"Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy rushed towards Magnezone to pull off a vicious tackle.

"Dodge and use Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Vivian. Magnezone shot another beam of light energy at Twiggy, leaving him injured.

"Leech Seed!" exclaimed Terrell. Roots emerged from the ground to catch Magnezone, draining it of its life energy to heal Twiggy.

"Ugh," uttered Vivian. "End it already! Use Tri Attack!"

Magnezone produced another blast of energy, shooting it at Twiggy.

"Dodge it and use Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy leapt out of the way before unleashing another seismic wave, which knocked out Magnezone.

"Magnezone is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Which means Terrell Foster wins the battle and advances to the semifinals!"

"YES!" exclaimed Terrell. He hugged Twiggy as the crowd in the stadium cheered. Natasha, Chris, and Gary were watching the battle in the spectator area, and cheered in excitement. Terrell walked over to his opponent Vivian, who was crying.

"I made it this far," uttered Vivian. "But you...you beat me."

"Everyone loses at some point," uttered Terrell. "The trick is to know how to deal with the loss."

"Thanks for the advice," replied Vivian as she shook Terrell's hand. "I'll need to do more training for the next conference."

* * *

"That kid's got some skill," uttered the viewer of the conference. His Pikachu sat on his shoulder as they watched TV in his apartment.

"Ash, dinner's ready!" shouted a female voice.

"I'll be right there Serena!" replied Ash. "The Sinnoh League conference is super interesting right now!"

* * *

Terrell, Natasha, Chris, Gary, Barry, and Conway watched the final quarterfinals battle draw to a close, with a trainer named Stewart Peters winning the battle. Conway and Barry had won their semifinals battles, and were eager to see who they were up against.

"Now that the quarterfinals are over, here's the matchups for the semifinals!" shouted the announcer as the matchups showed up on the big screen. It was Conway vs. Stewart, and Barry vs. Terrell.

"Huh," uttered Terrell as he looked at Barry. "Guess we'll be battling."

"Yeah, it'll be really fun," replied Barry. "See you there."

* * *

I think I spoiled my plans for Serena there. Jokes aside, the prequel in Alola will have a heavy romance plot between those two alongside the Lanakila Conference. Anyways, be sure to use the new subreddit to discuss the story, and I'll see you next time! If you have questions, try to ask them on the subreddit if you want a quicker response.


	33. Chapter 32: A Decisive Battle

So far, the subreddit's been a resounding success. Questions can be answered much faster there rather than having to answer them every time a new chapter starts. Anyways, let's get started.

* * *

"Now Electro, use Thunder Punch on Pippy!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro slammed Pippy with an electrified fist, leaving him wounded. Terrell was just wrapping up his training for his semifinals battle against Barry, having his Pokémon conduct mock battles with one-another.

"Great work guys," uttered Terrell. "I just have to tell you guys something first."

All of Terrell's Pokémon walked up to him. They knew the battle ahead would be tough, but they would pull through.

"Even if we lose, it's no big deal," uttered Terrell. "I honestly didn't expect to get this far into the conference. Just know not to give up, and we can win."

Terrell's Pokémon cheered in response, as did Natasha and Chris.

"Now, let's get to the stadium," uttered Terrell. "We have a battle to win."

* * *

"I...see something..." uttered Riley as he fell to the ground, kneeling. The other Aura Guardians quickly ran to his aid.

"What's wrong sir?" asked one of the Aura Guardians.

"I see...Kanto...engulfed in chaos..." uttered Riley. "Adherents...are there..."

"Then we better head to Kanto!" replied the Aura Guardian. "The visions MUST be happening there!"

* * *

"Pikachu, let's see how the conference goes from here," uttered Ash as he sat in his apartment, watching the Lily of the Valley Conference. "I want to see if either Barry or Terrell makes it further than I did."

"Pika!" exclaimed Pikachu as he ran around the couch in excitement.

* * *

Terrell and Barry walked into the stadium, ready to take part in their semifinals battle. The crowd cheered, knowing that this would be a battle to remember.

"The semifinals battle between Barry and Terrell will now begin!" exclaimed the announcer. "Each Trainer will get access to six Pokémon. Battle will end when all six of one Trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle, and the battlefield will change when one Trainer loses three of their Pokémon. We'll be starting with a Rock-type battlefield."

A rugged, mountainous battlefield emerged from the center of the stadium. Terrell and Barry walked onto it, ready to battle.

"Before we start, I'd just like to wish you good luck," uttered Terrell.

"You too," replied Barry. "Now then! Skarmory! Head on out!"

Skarmory emerged from its Poké Ball, letting out its wings.

"Electro, you're up!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro leapt from his Poké Ball, pounding his fists together.

"Spikes!" exclaimed Barry. Skarmory set up spikes on the ground around Electro, which began to sink into the ground.

"Thunder Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro hit Skarmory with a strong, electrified punch, dealing heavy damage.

"Spikes again!" exclaimed Barry. More spikes sunk into the ground.

"Fire Punch, now!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro lunged at Skarmory with a flaming fist.

"Counter!" exclaimed Barry. Skarmory slammed into Electro as he leapt at Skarmory, sending him down to the ground.

"Roost!" exclaimed Barry. Skarmory rested on the ground briefly, healing its wounds.

"Keep up the pressure with Thunder Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro hit Skarmory with another electrified fist.

"Spikes again!" exclaimed Barry. Another round of spikes sunk into the ground.

"Thunder Punch!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro leapt at Skarmory once again.

"Counter!" exclaimed Barry. Skarmory flew out of the way, causing Electro to fall into the ground and take damage.

"Brick Break!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro let out a swift chop of Skarmory, dealing strong damage.

"Roost!" exclaimed Barry. Skarmory rested on the ground again.

"Fire Punch, now!" exclaimed Terrell. Electro leapt at Skarmory with another flaming fist.

"Counter!" exclaimed Barry. Skarmory slammed Electro with its feet, knocking it out.

"Electro is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Skarmory wins!"

Terrell clenched his fist as he returned Electro to his Poké Ball. Skarmory was a tough opponent.

"Pippy, your turn!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy leapt from his Poké Ball, but then the Spikes took effect. Massive spikes rose from the ground, hitting Pippy hard.

"Hydro Pump!" exclaimed Terrell. "Make sure Skarmory stays away from you!"

Pippy let out a surge of water at Skarmory, causing it to plummet to the ground.

"Keep up the pressure with Ice Beam!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy fired a beam of ice-cold energy at Skarmory.

"Dodge it and use Brave Bird!" exclaimed Barry. Skarmory leapt out of the way, and came flying down towards Pippy, hitting him hard.

"Aqua Jet!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy lunged at Skarmory while cloaked in water, knocking him back a good distance.

"Roost!" exclaimed Barry. Skarmory flew down to the ground fairly quickly.

"Now!" exclaimed Terrell. "Use Hydro Pump!"

A quick burst of water hit Skarmory as it landed on the ground, knocking it out.

"Skarmory is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Pippy wins!"

"That was fun," uttered Barry. "Skarmory, return."

Skarmory returned to its Poké Ball.

"Staraptor, you're up next!" exclaimed Barry. Staraptor leapt from its Poké Ball, flying through the air a good distance.

"Hydro Pump!" exclaimed Terrell. A burst of water hit Staraptor hard, sending it to the ground.

"Brave Bird!" exclaimed Barry. Staraptor lunged at Pippy with its wings out, slamming into it viciously.

"Ice Beam!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy let out a beam of ice-cold energy at Staraptor, slowing it down briefly.

"Close Combat!" exclaimed Barry. Staraptor hit Pippy with a flurry of kicks and wing slashes.

"Aqua Jet!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy lunged at Staraptor while cloaked in water.

"Dodge it and use Return!" exclaimed Barry. Staraptor lunged at Pippy with a strong tackle, dealing considerable damage and cancelling out the Aqua Jet.

"Hydro Pump!" exclaimed Terrell. Pippy fired a burst of water at Staraptor, which sent it flying uncontrollably.

"Brave Bird!" exclaimed Barry. Staraptor lunged at Pippy with a strong tackle, knocking him out.

"Pippy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Staraptor wins!"

"Pippy, return!" exclaimed Terrell. "Inferno, let's do this!"

Inferno leapt from his Poké Ball, spinning a wheel of fire around himself. The spikes rose out of the ground shortly after, hitting Inferno hard.

"Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno fired a surge of electricity at Staraptor, dealing considerable damage.

"Return!" exclaimed Barry. Staraptor hit Inferno with a strong tackle.

"Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno let out a blast of fire at Staraptor, dealing considerable damage. The burn took effect shortly after.

"Gah!" exclaimed Barry. "Fight through it and use Close Combat!"

Staraptor recklessly charged at Inferno with his wings and legs out.

"Dodge and use Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno leapt out of the way and fired off a burst of electricity, which knocked out Staraptor.

"Staraptor is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Inferno wins!"

"You battled well Staraptor," uttered Barry. "Empoleon, let's do this!"

Empoleon leapt from its Poké Ball, snarling at Inferno.

"Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Terrell. Inferno fired a blast of electricity at Empoleon.

"Dodge it and use Hydro Cannon!" exclaimed Barry. Empoleon leapt out of the way, before sending out balls of water at Inferno, which hit him quite hard.

"Flamethrower!" exclaimed Terrell. A blast of fire hit Empoleon for good damage.

"Drill Peck!" exclaimed Barry. Empoleon lunged at Inferno with his beak out, knocking him out.

"Inferno is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Which means Empoleon wins and the battlefield will be changing to an Ice-type battlefield!"

The battlefield quickly changed to a snow-covered tundra as Terrell returned Inferno to his Poké Ball.

"Twiggy, let's go!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy crashed into the ground, letting out a fierce roar. Once again, the spikes hit Twiggy for decent damage.

"Hydro Cannon!" exclaimed Barry as Empoleon fired off balls of water.

"Dodge it and use Stoneshatter!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy dodged the balls of water swiftly, before creating Stone Edge pillars and shattering them with Earthquake. Massive shards of rock went flying across the battlefield, hitting Empoleon hard.

"Drill Peck!" exclaimed Barry. Empoleon hit Twiggy with a strong beak strike, dealing strong damage.

"Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy smashed Empoleon with the tree on his back for heavy damage.

"Hyper Beam!" exclaimed Barry. Empoleon fired off a massive beam of energy at Twiggy, dealing heavy damage.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. A seismic wave went flying across the battlefield, knocking out Empoleon.

"Empoleon is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Twiggy wins!"

"Empoleon, return!" exclaimed Barry. "Roserade, let's go!"

Roserade emerged from its Poké Ball, letting out a surge of poison from its arms.

"Sludge Bomb!" exclaimed Barry. Roserade fired a ball of poison at Twiggy, dealing heavy damage.

"Stoneshatter!" exclaimed Terrell. Once again, the Stone Edge pillars would shatter, sending debris across the battlefield. The rock shards hit Roserade hard.

"Energy Ball!" exclaimed Barry. A ball of energy hit Twiggy hard.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Terrell. A seismic wave went flying across the battlefield, hitting Roserade for strong damage.

"Shadow Ball!" exclaimed Barry. Roserade fired a ball of shadowy energy at Twiggy, leaving it wounded.

"Stone Edge!" exclaimed Terrell. Massive stalagmites hit Roserade for heavy damage, knocking it out. Yet, Twiggy was barely holding on.

"Roserade is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Twiggy wins!"

"Twiggy is really strong," uttered Barry as he returned Roserade to its Poké Ball. "Hitmonlee, let's go!"

Hitmonlee leapt from its Poké Ball, getting into a fighting stance.

"Wood Hammer!" exclaimed Terrell. Twiggy smashed Hitmonlee with the tree on his back, sending him flying.

"Blaze Kick!" exclaimed Barry. Hitmonlee hit Twiggy with a burning foot, sending him flying.

"Stone Edge!" exclaimed Terrell. Massive stalagmites emerged from the ground.

"Use High Jump Kick on the stalagmites!" exclaimed Barry. Hitmonlee smashed the stalagmites with his feet, sending debris at Twiggy and knocking him out.

"Twiggy is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Hitmonlee wins!"

"You battled well Twiggy," uttered Terrell as he returned him to his Poké Ball. "Munchy, let's finish this!"

Munchy leapt off of Terrell's shoulder, snarling at Hitmonlee.

"Belly Drum!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy pounded on his belly, raising his attack power.

"Mega Kick!" exclaimed Barry. Hitmonlee hit Munchy with a powerful kick.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. Munchy slammed into Hitmonlee with great force, knocking him to the ground.

"High Jump Kick!" exclaimed Barry.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed Terrell. The two Pokémon leapt into the air at each other, slamming into one-another and sending snow across the battlefield. Eventually, the snow cleared to show the two of them knocked out.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle," uttered the referee. Barry returned Hitmonlee to his Poké Ball while Terrell set Munchy's body aside. They then stared at each other, knowing what was about to happen.

"Chikara, it's all on you!" exclaimed Terrell as Chikara leapt from his Poké Ball and slammed his fists together.

"Heracross, let's do this!" exclaimed Barry. Heracross leapt from its Poké Ball, rearing its massive horn.

"Key Stone, unleash the power within!" exclaimed Terrell. "Mega Evolve!"

"Heracross, Mega Evolve!" exclaimed Barry. The two Pokémon proceeded to Mega Evolve, leading to the crowd cheering in excitement. They faced each other fiercely, knowing what was about to go down.

"Arm Thrust!" exclaimed Barry. Heracross slammed Chikara with a flurry of arm strikes, dealing damage.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara let out a burst of light energy at Heracross, hitting it hard.

"Pin Missile!" exclaimed Barry. A flurry of orbs went flying towards Chikara.

"Dodge and use Nasty Plot!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara leapt out of the way, and began to raise his attack power.

"Rock Blast!" exclaimed Barry. Heracross fired a flurry of rocks at Chikara, which hit him hard.

"Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara fired a blast of Aura energy at Heracross, which knocked it back.

"Arm Thrust!" exclaimed Barry. Heracross hit Chikara with another round of arm strikes.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. Light energy went flying through the air once again.

"Dodge and use Rock Blast!" exclaimed Barry. Heracross leapt out of the way, firing a round of stones at Chikara.

"Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. Chikara let out a blast of Aura energy at Heracross, dealing brutal damage.

"Pin Missile!" exclaimed Barry. Heracross fired orbs of energy at Chikara, dealing damage.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed Terrell. Another round of light energy hit Heracross for damage.

"Arm Thrust!" exclaimed Barry.

"Aura Sphere!" exclaimed Terrell. As Heracross lunged at Chikara, the ball of Aura energy went flying through the air, creating an explosion of snow across the battlefield. Everyone eagerly watched to see the result. When the snow cleared, Heracross stood before Chikara, who was on the ground, knocked out and reverted back to his normal form.

"Chikara is unable to battle," uttered the referee. "Which means Barry wins and advances to the finals!"

Terrell returned Chikara to his Poké Ball, before walking over to Barry.

"That was a lot of fun," uttered Terrell. "Because of that, I'm not upset about my loss."

"Yeah, you're a strong Trainer," replied Barry. "Thanks for the battle."

The two Trainers shook hands as the crowd cheered.

* * *

"Looks like Barry won," uttered Serena as she sat at the couch alongside Ash, watching the semifinals battle.

"Yeah, that was a good battle," replied Ash. "Though, Terrell's got some skill. Reminds me of myself, actually."

* * *

Terrell, Natasha, Chris, Gary, and Conway sat in the spectator stands, watching the closing ceremonies. Barry had just defeated Conway and won the conference, with Cynthia handing him a trophy. The torch in the stadium was extinguished as the Trainers left the stadium to meet with Barry in the lobby.

"Congratulations Barry," uttered Terrell. "Guess you'll be challenging the Champions' League now."

"Thanks," replied Barry. "So, what'll you guys be doing?"

"I'm thinking of heading to Kalos and challenging their league," replied Conway.

"Natasha, Chris, and myself will be heading to Kanto," replied Terrell. "Chris wants to compete in the Pokéathalon there, and I want to challenge the league."

"I just like travelling," replied Natasha. The five of them looked at Gary, waiting for his response.

"I'll be continuing my research in Sinnoh, though I'd like to head back to Kanto to visit family," replied Gary. As Conway and Barry left the group, Gary turned to face the three.

"I can actually secure you guys cheap airplane tickets to Kanto," uttered Gary. "I have connections."

"That would be great!" replied Chris. "Anything we should keep in mind for our trip there?"

"Both the Pokéathalon officials and the Pokémon League have rules regarding Pokémon from other regions," uttered Gary. "Namely, you must use a fresh team of Pokémon when challenging another region's League or Pokéathalon, though you're allowed to bring one Pokémon of your choice with you. Don't worry, you can still use your old Pokémon when the Supreme Cup or Indigo Conference comes along."

"I know a place where we can keep our Pokémon," uttered Terrell. "My parents are Breeders, and they run a ranch just outside Jubilife City."

"Sounds good!" replied Chris. The four exited the stadium, heading to the docks.

* * *

This chapter has been really fun to write. I really liked adding those little segments with Ash as well as the intense six-on-six battle. Anyways, the next chapter will be a farewell chapter to most of Terrell and Chris's Pokémon, as Natasha doesn't need to leave hers behind. It'll be followed by the finale in the Jubilife airport. Anyways, see you soon!


	34. Chapter 33: Goodbye for Now

This is gonna be an emotional chapter. Just putting that out there.

* * *

Terrell, Natasha, and Chris stood before the Foster Ranch. It was an open field located outside Jubilife City, maintained by Terrell's parents. Many Pokémon roamed the fields, mostly Munchlax and Snorlax, but other species as well.

"This way," uttered Terrell as he led the group through. They entered the main building, where Terrell's parents were.

"You're back!" they exclaimed as they hugged Terrell. He hugged back, before smiling at them.

"Did you watch me in the conference?" asked Terrell.

"Of course we did!" replied Terrell's dad. "Getting into the Top 4 is better than most beginning Trainers."

Terrell's parents looked at Natasha and Chris, smiling.

"Good to see you again Natasha," uttered Terrell's mom. She then turned to face Chris. "Who might you be?"

"Name's Chris," he replied. "I'm a friend of Terrell and Natasha, and I'm going to compete in the Pokéathalon in Kanto when I get the chance."

"Good to meet you," she replied. "So what brings you three here?"

"Chris and I are actually here to ask if our Pokémon can stay here while we're in Kanto," Terrell uttered. "League rules state that we can only bring one from Sinnoh to Kanto, and we've both decided on who to use."

"Of course!" replied Terrell's dad. "I'll just get everything set up."

As Terrell's dad left the room, Natasha budged over to Terrell's ear.

"When should we tell them?" Natasha asked.

"Soon," replied Terrell.

* * *

"The Kanto Police Department's already caught several Team Rocket members," uttered Alain. "Should we tell them to transport them here for questioning?"

"Of course," replied Looker as he sat at his desk. "We'll want to use the lie detector Colress just finished for this."

"Sounds good," replied Alain as he left the office. Anabel and Looker continued looking through the files related to the case.

"There's one suspicious thing they have though," uttered Looker. "Look at this photo."

Looker handed Anabel a photo of armed Team Rocket grunts surrounding a purple cat-like Pokémon.

"Is that..." uttered Anabel before she was interrupted by Looker.

"It is," replied Looker. "They have Mewtwo back in their possession."

"This is more serious than we thought," replied Anabel.

* * *

Terrell threw out his Poké Balls onto the open field. Twiggy, Electro, Chikara, Pippy, and Inferno all emerged in front of him.

"Guys, I'll be leaving for Kanto tomorrow," uttered Terrell. "This is goodbye for now, though I'll be bringing you all back for the Indigo Conference."

Terrell walked up to Inferno, smiling.

"Inferno, you melted through many of my opponents," uttered Terrell. "You helped us brave the blizzard in northern Sinnoh. Thank you for everything."

Terrell hugged Inferno tightly, before walking over to Pippy.

"Pippy, from the day we met, I knew you had something in you," uttered Terrell. "A desire to fight. A desire to battle. I helped unlock that desire, and you showed me what it means to be a versatile Trainer."

Terrell hugged Pippy, with the penguin Pokémon putting its wings around Terrell. After the hug ended, Terrell walked over to Electro.

"Electro, you've been a courageous battler," uttered Terrell. "Your versatility helped me secure four of my Gym Badges. Thank you so much."

Electro ran over to Terrell, hugging him tightly. Terrell ended the hug, and walked over to Twiggy, tearing up slightly.

"Twiggy, you've been with me since the start of our journey," uttered Terrell. "You helped me through the early stages, learning how to become stronger alongside me. We won together, we lost together, and we emerged stronger every time. Thank you."

Terrell sat on Twiggy's back, hugging the tree on the Pokémon's back. Twiggy smiled, and eventually, Terrell walked over to his last Pokémon: Chikara. His eyes began to swell up with tears.

"Chikara, I know we both feel that exceptional bond we have," uttered Terrell. "We've fought bravely together, unlocking the secrets of Mega Evolution in the process. We went down together at the conference against Barry's Heracross, knowing that we've fought as hard as we could. Thank you for being there."

Terrell let out tears of emotion as he clinged onto Chikara. Chikara returned the hug, crying away. After a long hug, Terrell motioned for Natasha and Chris to come over, with their Pokémon out. Munchy leapt off of Terrell's shoulder to talk with the other Pokémon, knowing it would be a while before he'd see most of them.

"I've already said my goodbyes to everyone besides Garchomp, since he's coming with me," uttered Chris. "What's next?"

"A group photo," replied Terrell as he pulled out his Pokétch. The three of them smiled as they got a camera shot with all fifteen of their Pokémon. Terrell and Natasha held hands, knowing it would be a picture to remember.

* * *

The Prison Bottle sent out reactions of energy, causing Hoopa to emerge from it. Though it was in its Confined form, the prisonlike machinery within the cell kept it captive.

"We'll be conducting energy readings soon," uttered Dr. Zager. "Get used to being here."

As Dr. Zager left the room, Hoopa looked at Mewtwo, who was in the cell next to its own.

"These humans are evil. They do nothing but conduct countless experiments on me, and they'll do the same to you."

"Humans are always evil. I played tricks on them thousands of years ago, and their sore sense of humor led to them banishing me to that...bottle."

"These ones are extremely evil. They don't hesitate to kill their enemies or conduct ruthless experiments."

* * *

"We better leave for the airport," uttered Terrell. "Our flight's tomorrow, and we better get a room in the Pokémon Center there."

"Good idea," replied Natasha. "Though, we should tell your parents about our relationship."

"What about your parents?" replied Terrell. Natasha showed some hesitation.

"Remember, I don't know where my parents are," replied Natasha. "The orphanage told me that they were unable to settle down and care for me, so they left me here in Jubilife as a two-year-old. They must be doing important stuff if they had to do that."

Terrell's parents walked over to the three Trainers, smiling.

"Heading out soon?" asked Terrell's dad. Terrell rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, there's one thing we have to tell you," uttered Terrell as he gripped Natasha's hand and threw it into the air. "We're a couple now."

"Great!" exclaimed Terrell's mom. "I met your father around your age, and it was a positive relationship so to speak."

"Yeah, you two are a good fit," replied Terrell's dad. "Stick together in Kanto, and you'll be good."

"Anyways, we're gonna leave for the airport now," replied Chris. "Our flight's tomorrow."

The three Trainers left the ranch, leaving Terrell's parents to smile at them.

"Good luck in Kanto!" they shouted.

* * *

And that ends this chapter. I gave Natasha some more development there because I feel as if she needs to be expanded upon as a character. Anyways, the next chapter will be the final chapter of An Emerging Trainer, with the Kanto segment of the trilogy starting right after. See you soon.


	35. Chapter 34: Farewell Sinnoh!

The FINAL chapter is coming early. Get ready.

* * *

Mewtwo and Hoopa reeled in pain as energy flowed through their bodies. It seemed as if Dr. Zager was trying to break them and force them into servitude.

"You fool. We're too powerful to be controlled."

"That can be changed with the power of science," replied Dr. Zager. "Once we've broken you two, nothing will stop Team Rocket."

"Your 'Team Rocket' pales in comparison when it comes to trickery. I'd tear this lab apart if you didn't have that...bottle."

"Your powers are especially of interest to us Hoopa," replied Dr. Zager. "Though as long as we hold this bottle, you're powerless."

* * *

Terrell, Natasha, and Chris entered the Jubilife City International Airport. It was crowded with Trainers and their Pokémon. With Munchy on Terrell's shoulder, Charchar, Rotom, and Ralts with Natasha, and Chris's Garchomp, they were ready for Kanto.

"We're on Dragonite Airlines Flight K006," uttered Terrell. "We'll need to check in before we meet with Gary."

As the three of them checked in for their flight and sent their luggage away, they made their way to security. For some reason, there was heightened security, with International Police officers in the area.

"What's going on?" asked Chris.

"The International Police are suspicious about some stuff in Kanto," uttered a guard. "They want to make sure no criminals are making their way into the region, so they've heightened security."

"Well damn," replied Natasha. "Wonder what's going on?"

"No idea," replied the guard.

* * *

Jessie, James, and Meowth entered the Pokémon holding area within the Team Rocket HQ. They quickly grabbed several Poké Balls and threw them out, causing a Seviper, Yanmega, Gourgeist, Mime Jr., Carnivine, Inkay, Woobat, Frillish, Yamask, Amoonguss, Mimikyu, and Toxapex. Wobbuffet also left his Poké Ball to meet with the others.

"Good to see you fellas again," uttered Meowth. While most of them cheered, Mimikyu reared his head towards Meowth, in an angry manner.

"Looks like you're still upset about us not chasing the twerp's Pikachu anymore," muttered Jessie. The three of them smiled at the Pokémon, knowing that it was good to see them again.

"You'll all be used in the coming months to help fight for the cause of Team Rocket!" exclaimed James.

* * *

"You made it!" exclaimed Gary as he dashed towards the three Trainers. They sat down at a table, where Gary showed them a pamphlet. In the pamphlet, there were three pictures of a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.

"These are the starter Pokémon of the Kanto region," uttered Gary. "I think it's a good idea for you three to decide among yourselves on which one you want."

"Dibs on Squirtle!" exclaimed Chris energetically. Gary smiled at Chris, seeing that they would choose the same starter.

"Natasha, is it ok if I choose Charmander?" Terrell asked. Natasha nodded.

"I was planning to pick Bulbasaur anyways," replied Natasha. "So are we all good on starters?"

"Yep!" replied Terrell. "Can't wait to tackle the Kanto League."

"And I can't wait to challenge the Pokéathalon for the first time," replied Chris.

"Dragonite Airlines Flight K006 is now boarding," uttered an automated voice. The four of them knew it was time to go, and made their way to the gate.

* * *

The four Trainers were now an hour into the flight. As Natasha and Terrell slept, with their heads touching, Chris looked through the in-flight entertainment system for a movie to watch after he finished binge-watching the whole seventh season of Nurse Joy M.D.. He eventually settled on a documentary about the beginnings of the Pokémon League system. As the movie started, Gary was on the phone with Professor Oak.

"We're an hour into the flight," uttered Gary. "Halfway there."

"Excellent!" replied Professor Oak. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again Gary."

"Yeah, so am I," replied Gary. "My work in Sinnoh for the last few years has been really good. I basically run the lab there since Professor Rowan's always dealing with major breakthroughs in evolution."

* * *

Eventually, the plane landed in Vermilion City. The three trainers left the plane, entering the airport.

"Welcome to Kanto," uttered Gary.

* * *

The ending here is meant as less of an ending to the story and more of a lead-in to Kanto. Thank you to everyone for your support as I wrote this, and I'll see you soon!


End file.
